Work Text:
It was a calm day in the Diaz household.
Sean carefully makes his way over to Daniel’s crib. Looking down at his baby brother, his eyes roam over his sleeping form. Sean knows he should get ready for school soon; That he has to leave his baby brother at home with the babysitter instead of staying in their warm and safe den they’ve made for themselves.
Getting on his tippy toes, he reaches over the mesh-lined gate, trying to reach the sleeping child. His efforts fall short, almost brushing against his tiny nose. Sean huffs, irritated. –”Come on..! Ugh, can't reach..” He continues reaching, failing miserably.
The bed next to the crib creaks, as a shadow casts upon the wall,
–”Hijo, let Danny sleep okay?” Esteban whispers. –“You should get ready for school, you have a big day ahead of you.” Sean feels hands under his armpits as Esteban picks him up, raising him to his level. He presses a kiss to his son’s cheek, smiling. Sean giggles, pressing a few kisses to his father’s face. It feels peaceful to play like this, to have some calm after his mother’s disappearance.
A cry erupts, as it’s clear his baby brother is finally awake. Sean is put down on the ground, as Esteban quickly tends to the crying child. Sean quickly makes his way out of his father’s room. He frowns, striding across the living room and through the kitchen to make his way to the bathroom.
He grabs his toothbrush, spurting the minty goo onto the bristles. As he brushes his teeth and washes his face, Daniel's cries soon die out, soothed by the older man. Sean leaves the bathroom, looking around for his father.
Esteban is in the kitchen, preparing breakfast for the two boys. He pokes his head around the corner, watching him in admiration. Sean wishes that he could be big and strong like his father, the foundation of their family. Esteban pays him no mind, carefully adding small amounts of milk into the pot. Daniel is sitting on the placemat, playing with a power bear plushie. The small boy looks over at him, happy to see his big brother. –“Sean! Sean!” he lisps, using the cabinet to help himself off of the ground. Carefully making his way over to the older boy, he wraps his arms around his legs, squeezing tightly. He squeals, excited to see the other male.
He wraps his arms around his baby brother, squeezing lightly. They hold each other for a few seconds before letting go. Esteban picks up Daniel, placing him into his highchair and strapping him in. Sean takes the initiative to sit on one of the stools in front of the small island, happy to eat breakfast with his family. Esteban pushes both chairs in, placing bowls in front of the two children.
They look down at the bowls, frowning at the beige substance.
–”Mira, I know you don't want to eat Cream of Wheat every morning, but we don't have a choice.” Esteban sighs. –”Next week, we can go grocery shopping. I’ll make sure to get your favorite cereals.” He sprinkles sugar onto their meals, mixing it into their hot cereals. As they eat, Sean watches his father clean, the tired man consuming the leftover Cereal in the pot during the process.
Looking over at his brother, he notices the absolute mess Daniel has made on himself. The small child isn't as skilled with the spoon as he is. Esteban pays no mind to them as he washes the dishes as quickly as he can manage. –”You’re going to be good boys today, right? No phone calls home, yes?” Esteban questions. Daniel quickly yips out a reply, before stuffing more of the grey substance within his chasm. Sean sighs, finishing his bowl.
–”Papi, I don't want to go to school. I wanna stay home with Daniel” Sean pouts, removing himself from the chair. Esteban sighs. --“Don't you want to meet all your new buddies at school? What about Lyla? I'm sure she'd want you at school with her." He stops washing dishes in favor of walking over to Sean, placing his hands on the boy’s shoulders. –“No seas tímido, hijo. You’ll do great.”
Sean nods, wiping the remnants of cereal off his face with his pajama sleeve. Esteban ruffles his hair, equally excited for his son’s first day of Second grade. It’s a big deal for the Diaz family after all.
Esteban quickly leads Sean to his room, opening the door for him and ushering him inside. He points to a set of uniform clothes, exclaiming with delight. –”Go ahead and put on your clothes for school. I want to get a picture before you get onto the bus!” Excited, Esteban places the back of his hand onto his forehead dramatically as if he were in one of those telenovelas they’d watch on a Saturday evening. –”My precious son, all grown up. What will I do now that my big strong man has gone up a grade?” Esteban begins to undress the small boy, carefully unbuttoning his pajama top.
Sean groans, annoyed. –”Papi!, go away! I'm not a little kid anymore, I can dress myself!” He begins to push his father away from his door, but his small weight does next to nothing against the tall, hefty man. Esteban eventually relents, feigning cowardice as he scours away and out of sight.
Sighing in relief, the boy begins to dress himself, carefully slipping on his freshly ironed khaki pants, the warmness of the iron still evident on his clothing. He searches for his light-up shoes(Ones he begged his father to get for his pair of school shoes for the year), making sure to tie them to the best of his ability. Wasting no time however, Sean quickly grabs his bag, making sure all of his notebooks and pencils are where they are supposed to be. He makes sure to pack his small sketchbook he had gotten for Christmas, filled with tiny drawings of everyday things. He hopes to get better at it someday!
He makes his way into the living room once more, noticing Daniel is no longer in his high chair. He finds that the Two-year-old is sitting against the bottom of the couch, watching some sort of children’s program on the television. He sits next to his baby brother, turning his head towards the other. –”Papi said I'm a big boy now, so I gotta be big and strong to go to school today.” Sean brags. Daniel gasps, looking surprised yet sad. –”No!” Daniel grasps his hand looking up at Sean with watery eyes. –”Home!”
Esteban is nowhere to be seen, as Daniel doesn't let go. He whimpers, seemingly ready to burst into tears any second. No amount of comfort would help the smaller boy, as his face gets red with anger. He begins to cry, throwing himself into the other’s arms. Sean carefully wraps his arms around the weeping child, feeling frustrated himself. It’s not like he won't come back, he does this every time he leaves the house without him.
He’s close to his limit when Esteban quickly rushes out into the room with his work clothes rushed on, carefully picking up his two sons. He cradles them in his arms, shushing the two with drawn-out noises. –”Shh, it’s okay, Danny. Seanie boy isn't gonna stay gone forever. We talked about this, remember?” Esteban utters in a comforting tone. Daniel doesn't take that for an answer however, shrieking in distress. –“No, No, No!” He begins to cry harder, beginning to kick and squirm in their father’s grasp.
Esteban carefully places Sean down on the couch as he presses Daniel's face into his chest, stroking his hair. –“There-there mi estrella. We can walk him to the bus stop and you can kiss him goodbye. Would you like that?”
That seemed to do the trick as Daniel nodded, sniffling into his chest. Sean quickly puts on his backpack as he is led to the front door.
Sunlight beams throughout the house, as the cool autumn air sends a draft in their direction. Sean quickly grasps one of Esteban's free hands, as he leads the way to the bus stop. Kids are leaving their houses, ready to experience this stage of childhood just as he will. He starts the daunting walk over to the bus stop, anxiety beginning to settle in his core. As they made it to the forsaken stop, he couldn't help but notice a small girl running in his direction, waving a paper at him enthusiastically. –”We’re in the same class, Look!” The child shoves the paper in his face, joyfully listing off the things they were going to do that year. Sean looks at his father nervously as she continues to ramble, Daniel looks at the girl with a curious expression. Esteban simply laughs, looking down at the two. –”Looks like someone’s got himself a little 'girl-friend' for the year, huh Seanie boy?”
Sean blushes, beginning to stammer. –”She’s not my girlfriend! She's my best friend, you know Lyla!” Lyla looks over at Esteban, waving. –”Hi Mister Diaz! Hi Daniel!” She smiles, getting onto her tippy toes to reach over at the moody toddler. Esteban helps her by meeting her halfway, crouching down to let her play with the small boy’s face, squishing his tiny little cheeks.
Esteban smiles, greeting her warmly. –”Good morning, Lyla. How is your mother? Are things going well at home? Are you making sure to eat well?”
Lyla and Esteban begin to chat with one another, as Sean and Daniel are left to each other's vices. He sticks to Sean like glue, playing with his collared shirt and hair respectively.
As the bus arrives, a loud screech sounds throughout the air, bus doors open to welcome the neighborhood’s elementary students. Kids pile onto the bus as Lyla rushes her way into the bus and a seat. However, Sean sticks around for a little longer as kids pass him to board.
Esteban quickly snaps a photo of the two together with his trusty Polaroid camera, making sure to keep the photo as momentum for years to come. He kisses Sean on the forehead and attempts to retrieve Daniel to no avail. He holds onto his brother, not letting go. –”No! No! Home!” He begins to cry once more as embarrassment seeps Within Sean, as he’s making a scene in front of his peers.
He weeps in Sean’s arms, staining his shirt with tears. He doesn't want his big brother to leave. Instead of worrying however, Sean swiftly kisses his smaller brother’s face, swallowing down the heat and embarrassment flooding his core. –”I promise I’ll come back, I love you, Danny.” He places one more kiss on his forehead as Daniel calms down from his tantrum, squeezing him as tight as possible while hugging his older brother.
Daniel detaches from Sean with their father's help, wiping his flow of tears. –”Love you” He sniffles.
He pulls on Sean's shirt, wanting him to come lower. Not wanting to experience another crying session, Sean carefully crouches down as Daniel mimics kisses all over his face as well, resulting in drool and spit being peppered along his face.
He pulls away, wiping away the remnants in disgust. --"Love you too, Daniel." Esteban carefully picks Daniel up once more as Sean boards the bus. He waves to the two men, making his way further. By the time he makes it to his seat next to Lyla, the bus starts up once more, closing its doors for the road ahead.
They both wave out of the window, pulling away from the stop and to their next destination. A faint yell of ‘I love you’ is heard as they drive away, sealing their fate to experience the new year.
Sean skillfully makes his way out of the bus, managing not to trip over the countless bags and legs that fill the aisle. Lyla is close behind, nearly tripping Sean as she races down the metal steps, leaping onto the concrete. They make their venture down the street, as Sean picks up the pace. –”Do you think we'll have more recess tomorrow?” Lyla questions, cheery. She attempts to keep pace, taking long strides onto the pavement.
Sean looks over to her, adjusting his straps. –”Yeah, if Lucas doesn't try to pull the fire alarm again. He's so annoying!” Lyla rolls her eyes as they walk past the Foster household. She stops in front of his house, running to the porch. –”Come on, I gotta show you something!” She pats the seat next to her, going through her bag. Sean follows, sitting down next to the brunette.
She pulls out a toy hamster and places it into his hands. –”Look! It's a Go Go pet! His name is Mr. Squiggles!” I got it from my grandma last week!” She excitedly kicks her feet, as Sean inspects the toy. He lifts the furry animal, running his fingers along the embroidered spiral on its back. Lyla excitedly presses its nose, igniting a plethora of sounds coming from the small toy. –”That's so cool! I wish I had one.” Sean smiles, flipping Mr. Squiggles over to reveal the tiny wheels along its bottom. He puts it onto the porch, searching for the right button –”Can he move all on his own? I saw on TV that it could!”
Lyla nods excitedly, digging her thumb into the spiral. The toy hamster rolls around the porch, making excited little sounds. Neglecting the need for the two to go to their respective homes, the two play in the yard, letting the poor robo-pet get dirty in the process.
A car pulling into the driveway startles the two for a moment. They both get up, their uniforms covered in dirt and grass stains. They watch as the car is parked, door opening to reveal navy blue trousers. He knows exactly who this is; It’s his Papi! Sean lights up, dropping the Go go pet as he runs towards his father. He jumps into his arms, hugging him tightly. –”I missed you, papi! He kicks his legs, nuzzling into the tired man’s neck. It feels safe to Sean, happy to be with one of the people he loves most. Esteban simply holds his boy, patting his back lightly. –”You two should’ve been home by now. Especially you, Miss Park. Your mother must be worried sick.”
Lyla looks down, ashamed. She knows she’s supposed to be home by now, but she just had to show her best friend her new toy! –”I'm sorry Mister Diaz. I just wanted to play with Sean.” She picks up her toy off the ground, showing it to the older male.
Esteban puts Sean down, walking over to inspect the orange toy. –”Oh my! Look at that cute toy! I see why you’d want to stay out. How about this, we go to your parent’s house and tell them where you are, then you can ask them to come back, okay?” He leans down, patting her shoulder as he smiles. –”We just want you to be safe, mija.” She nods, feeling better about going home. Esteban stands up fully, walking towards the car. –”Make sure to get your bag, sweetheart. I'm sure you have homework to attend to, right Seanie boy?”
Sean nods shyly, holding onto his father’s hand. Lyla quickly grabs her bookbag off of the porch, shoving loose papers back inside. She takes hold of Sean’s hand, pulling him towards her house. He follows after the small girl, pulling Esteban along with them. Lyla’s house soon comes into sight, as the sounds of a lawnmower fill the air. Lyla detaches from Sean to run across the grass, running to the screen door. Esteban waits for her to go inside, waving to the two before going inside her home to her worried parents.
They walk home in peaceful silence, making their way to their humble abode. Esteban unlocks the door, letting Sean pick up his backpack before going inside the house. Sounds of laughter fill the home, as Daniel plays with the babysitter. Upon noticing the two men, The babysitter smiles, turning Daniel around. –”Danny, look! Guess who's home.” they point to Sean and Esteban, in which the small boy lights up. Filled with joy, Daniel stumbles his way over to the pair, wrapping his arms around Sean’s waist.
Squeezing tightly, he squeals excited to see his big brother. He doesn't let go, nuzzling his face onto his stomach. He’s waited so long for this, to be able to play with Sean once more.
–”Miss you” Daniel utters as Sean simply drops his bag, placing his hand on the back of Daniel’s head. He smiles, holding him close. Esteban can't help but feel his heart warm at the scene. His two boys loving each other brings him great pride.
The sun slowly sets low in the sky nearing nighttime as Lyla, Sean, and Daniel play in the living room. Esteban cooks dinner for his little angels, making sure to keep an eye on them as Hawt Dawg man blares from the television. Laughter is heard throughout the Diaz household, and Sean wouldn't have it any other way.