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Eddie was quietly reading his book, glasses resting on the tip of his nose as he fought against the desire to close his eyes and take a nap. Just as his eyelids drooped he heard three loud pops and the smell of burning coming from the kitchen.
Steve had been prepping his lunches and fixing breakfast for lunch- Eddie’s favourite Sunday special. He dashed into the room coming to a halt and seeing the room empty, a pan with smoke rising from it, and was that egg up the walls? He ran to the stove and yanked the pot off the heat, inside the pan had boiled dry and apparently, Eddie discovered, hard boiled eggs explode if you leave them too long. Of course just as he’d got to them the smoke alarm started to go off.
“Fuck fuck fuckity fuck.” Eddie swore, jumping almost out his skin. The detector was shut off with a flapping tea towel. It wasn’t until the insistent ringing stopped did he call out to the house. “Steve? Babe, you ok?” He heard a little squeak and then a soft “Daddy.” that started to get louder.
“Daddy, daddy, daddy, dad, daddy, daddy” Steve repeated, sounding more and more distressed.
Eddie walked into the toy room to find his little Leliphant stuck in a sweater. It was his favourite, red woolen and extra big that gave him sweater fingers and dwarfed his large frame. Currently he had his sweater half on, his head had somehow got caught midway out the left sleeve while his arms were stuck in the air out the neck. Eddie had to stifle a laugh when he heard Steve start to panic and a small “halp” slipped from his lips.
“Hey, hey. Don’t cry, Leliphant, Daddy’s gonna rescue you.” Eddie cooed, pulling the sweater higher up, wrestling one arm out and his head until they were all in the right holes. He booped Steve on the nose once he was finally free. “There you are.” he smiled fondly when Steve wrapped his arms around Eddie’s middle and snuffled in his hair.
“Thank you for saving me, Daddy” Steve said so earnestly that Eddie couldn’t help giving him another squeeze.
“Any time, Leliphant. Do you feel ok?” Eddie asked. He wanted to make sure this hadn’t been a stress drop. Most of the time little Steve was able to articulate how he felt even if he didn’t know why it mattered.
Steve grinned and quickly nodded his head. “Yes, Daddy. I got a good ideas.” he stated and stood himself up taller. He grabbed his elephant, Kevin, into his arms and declared to Eddie.
“Me and Kevin wanna have a tea party. You have to come too, okays?”
Eddie held out his hand and bowed, “I’d be honored to join you two for a tea party.” Steve giggled that sweet sweet sound that always made Eddie smile. Steve set up his little table, placing three chairs around it. He sat Kevin down and then pushed Eddie into another.
“You sit here, Daddy.” Steve said, pointing to a chair. Their knees knocked their chests sitting on the small chairs, but Steve was happy and that was all that mattered.
Eddie watched diligently as Steve lay out the little plates, with knives and forks. He took out his tea set that was for special occasions. One that Steve had found at a thrift store, a perfect miniature tea set made in a delicate porcelain. Steve had walked past it at least five times before sighing and going to where Eddie was looking through the jeans section. Steve didn’t notice how Eddie had been watching him carefully and only found out that Eddie went back without Steve the next day to buy it, when Eddie presented it to Steve the next time he was little.
Steve was always so careful with the set, placing each piece down as softly as possible with his sweater fingers and his tongue sticking out the side of his mouth. The set had it all, saucers and teacups, a teapot, sugar bowl and a little sugar spoon that was Steve’s favourite piece.
“Now you stay there, Daddy.” Steve tapped Eddie on the head then did the same to Kevin. “You make sure Daddy behaves.”
Eddie chuckled but cleared his throat when Steve shot him a glare. He often told Kevin to make sure Steve behaved and he loved the way Steve mimicked these things.
Steve sat in front of his little plastic kitchen and started to cook his plastic eggs in a little plastic pan. He twiddled with the dials making sure it was the right heat before he took out some plastic vegetables and sliced them up. He had a tomato that split into slices that absolutely delighted him, those were tossed into a frying pan, soon a plastic banana followed along with an apple and a piece of bacon.
“So, Kevin, do you come here often?” Eddie decided to strike up a conversation with his fellow table guest. “No, it's my first time.” Eddie replied to himself in a silly voice.
“Daddy!” Steve said, turning to toss a look over his shoulder as he stirred the eggs in his pot. “Kevin lives with us, silly/”
“Oh you’re quite right, Daddy is silly isn’t he.”
Steve giggled and grinned. “Very silly.” he agreed, nodding his head decisively and shaking the frying pan. There were 3 plates stacked on the chopping board ready for use and Steve scooped up an egg, a slice of tomato and a banana onto one and placed it in front of Eddie. Kevin got the apple and Steve gave himself the bacon. Didn’t matter if he was big or small, there was no wrestling the bacon out of Steve’s hands.
“Would you like some tea, Daddy?” Steve asked, holding the tea pot out. Eddie lifted his cup letting Steve fill it up, his little finger stuck out as he took a sip.
“Mmm .Delightful as always, you must tell me who you buy your tea from, it’s simply divine.” Eddie put on his best posh accent which did exactly what he hoped for and had Steve giggling so hard he almost dropped his teapot.
“Ok, Daddy, you can eat now.” Steve’s sweet voice was even cuter when he was trying to be in charge. But Eddie was a good guest and did what the host wanted. “Do you like it?” Steve asked, eyes wide, eyebrows raised as he waited.
Eddie pretended to chomp on his banana, “MMmmm. Yummy!”
Steve looked very pleased with himself as he helped Kevin drink his tea and eat his apple and egg. He seemed happy that tea was done and started to clean up the plates. Eddie went to stand up but got a glare and a pointed finger so he quickly sat his butt back down.
With a flare that would probably embarrass Big Steve, he opened the oven door and pulled out a cake. “Ta da!”
Eddie gasped and clasped his cheeks, “What do you call that, Leliphant?” he asked when the cake was placed in the middle of the table.
Steve giggled, “it’s cake, Daddy.”
“Yeah but what’s that stuff on top?” Eddie asked with a grin poking the lightly dusted top of the plastic cake.
Steve loved to bake, both little and big so when his eyebrows rose and he looked suspiciously at Eddie he knew he had got him. “Icing sugar, Daddy. You're being very silly today. Steve said earnestly.
“But, sweetheart, it’s perfect. Why would we want to go to a restaurant when you serve things like this for us?” Eddie pointed between Kevin and him with his thumb.
Of course this set Steve off into another fit of giggles. He was laughing so hard and leaning back holding his belly that he didn’t realise until it was too late that the chair was tipping back. It all happened too fast for Eddie to help and it was like slow motion as he watched his Leliphant fall back and his head hit the corner of the kitchen.
There was silence for a moment before a huge gasp then the tears came. Huge heavy drops that ran down his cheeks and dripped from his chin. Eddie was there in a heartbeat, pulling Steve into his lap and kissing him all over the face while gently cupping his head.
“Sweet Leliphant, let Daddy have a look. Show me where it hurts.” Steve snuffled and wiped his nose on his sleeve before pointing with hitched breath at the spot on the crown of his head. Eddie ran his thumb over the spot softly, Steve's breath hitched and another sob was let loose but there was no lump and Eddie thought it was probably the shock that scared him rather than the pain.
The tea party was forgotten, Kevin was on his side on the floor having been dislodged with the tumble. Eddie reached over while keeping Steve tucked under his arm and grabbed Kevin pushing him into Steve’s arms.
Steve took a long time to settle, Eddie knew when he was feeling better by the way his breathing had evened out. A few minutes later his Leliphant was starting to fidget in his lap, Eddie held him a little bit closer and cooed, “Do I have a happy Leliphant?”
Steve's “nu-uh" was betrayed by the giggle so Eddie took that moment to tickle Steve’s sides. That giggle exploded, not able to be contained any more. Only broken up by squeals of “Daddy!”
Eddie let up quickly and it had the desired effect as Steve shuffled out of his lap. He sat on his knees in front of Eddie, “Thank you, Daddy.” he said and then raised Kevin, “and thank you Kevin.”
Eddie chuckled, “That’s ok, sweetheart. Kevin was a big help.”
Eddie watched as Steve chewed the inside of his lip, he looked as though a million thoughts were going through his mind at once all written across his face. He must have decided on something because he nodded and clasped his hands to his chest.
“Okays, we needs to eat the cake now.”