Chapter Text
“Ooh, Cecil. What’s this?”
McCoy knelt down on the kitchen floor with his son, letting the toddler look over different fruits and vegetables the human had in a pile on the floor. He was trying to get Cecil to learn some simple words- wanted the lad to be all ready for kindergarten in a few months. He held up a red fruit- something everyone knows.
The little sea monster had his father's hand on his back, keeping the still somewhat wobbly fella upwards. “A…” Cecil tried, words still a bit hard. “Ap…” He huffed, and tried again. “Apple!”
The father’s face lit up with pride as he gently ruffled Cecil’s hair. “That’s right, good job, bud! Apple.”
Cecil, thrilled by his dad’s praise, beamed up at him, his little tail wagging excitedly. His eyes darted back to the assortment of fruits and vegetables in front of him, eager to explore more. He reached out, his small, chubby hand patting a bright green bell pepper next. “Dis?”
“That’s a bell pepper, kiddo.”
“Peh…pur-” Cecil tried, his tongue struggling with the word but clearly determined to get it right.
“That’s close enough,” McCoy said, his voice full of encouragement. “You’re getting the hang of this.”
Spurred by the praise, Cecil dropped to his hands and knees carefully, getting more up close and personal with the food. McCoy smiled, and pointed to an orange.
“What's this?” He asked.
The little toddler looked at the orange, his hands immediately grabbing it. His mouth moved like he wanted to say something, but didn't know what to say. His dad smiled.
“What color is it?”
Cecil barked out his confident answer. “Orange!”
“Atta boy!” McCoy's heart swelled with pride as he watched Cecil start to connect the dots. "You're gonna be the smartest little sea monster in kindergarten, I just know it." He said, patting the toddler on the back. Cecil, thrilled by the continued encouragement, clutched the orange tightly in his tiny hands, his tail wagging furiously behind him.
Scotty, who had been watching from the kitchen counter, leaned down with a warm smile. "Ye’ve got him learning his colors already, huh? Next thing ye know, he’ll be reading manuals in engineering!"
His husband chuckled, glancing up at his husband. "We’ve got a little while before that, I think, but at this rate, he’ll be naming every tool in your kit by next year."
Scotty grinned, coming over to kneel beside them. "Wouldn't be surprised. He's sharp as a tack.” Cecil turned to look at his sea monster father, a smile on his face, and a giggle started to leave his lips when the man kissed his cheek.
Happy with the situation, Cecil dropped the orange and went to grab something else, keen on impressing his dads again- this time grabbing a banana. He turned it over in his hands, inspecting it curiously.
McCoy tilted his head. "What do you think that is, buddy?"
The toddler scrunched up his face in thought. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but hesitated, looking between the fruit and his fathers.
Scotty, sensing the struggle, leaned in and whispered, "Banana."
Cecil's face lit up with understanding. "Banana!"
McCoy chuckled, giving Scotty a playful nudge. "Cheater."
"Ach, just a wee bit of help.”
The doctor just shook his head before he reached out for something else- a cantaloupe. It was pretty far away from Cecil though, so the human gave it a little push, rolling the circular fruit to the toddler. Before McCoy could ask Cecil what it was, the little sea monster got startled by the sudden moving fruit, and immediately dropped his banana and scrambled up off the floor and into Scotty’s arms, letting out a distressed cry.
“Woah! It's okay, Cecil!” Scotty held his terrified son, keeping the toddler close as he kept pressing himself more into his dad, whimpering with fear. “It's just a cantaloupe, laddie! It's not gonna hurt ye.”
“Cecil, it's okay. See?” McCoy tried to help Cecil see nothing was wrong with the fruit, picking it up and bringing it closer, but Cecil just cried more. “Oh my God. He's really scared of cantaloupe.”
Scotty gently rocked Cecil in his arms, trying to soothe him. "Aye, poor wee lad. It must've spooked him when it rolled like that." He kissed the top of Cecil's head, rubbing the toddler's back as he murmured softly. "There, there, it's alright now. The big, scary cantaloupe won't bother ye anymore."
Cecil’s tail, which had been frantically swishing earlier, was now tucked firmly between his legs as he sniffled away some of his tears. McCoy, still holding the fruit, shook his head in disbelief.
“I’ve seen kids afraid of all kinds of things, but a cantaloupe?” He placed the fruit back on the floor, careful to keep it out of Cecil’s sight. "Well, at least we know one thing to avoid for now.”
“Yer alright, lad. Yer big, brave dads are here.” Scotty’s voice was a low, comforting rumble, and it seemed to work wonders. Cecil finally calmed down, his little hiccups fading as he peeked out from his father’s chest. His big eyes glanced warily at the pile of fruits on the floor, making sure the offending cantaloupe wasn’t on the move again.
The human father knelt down beside them, offering a reassuring smile. "See? All gone. No more scary cantaloupe." He reached out to gently rub Cecil’s back. "You wanna try some more, or are you done for the day, champ?”
Cecil looked at his papa, and gave a little shake of his head. McCoy smiled sympathetically, ruffling Cecil’s hair. "Fair enough. Can't blame you, bud. That cantaloupe's pretty suspicious, huh?" His teasing tone got a tiny smile from the toddler, though his grip on his dad's shirt stayed firm.
Scotty stood up slowly, still holding Cecil securely. "Maybe we’ll stick to apples and bananas for a bit longer. No more rogue cantaloupes." He winked at his husband, who rolled his eyes with a smile.
“Well, I'm sure he'll open up to it when he's older.”