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The house was particularly quiet. There were faint sounds of wild life outside, but there was only a small cry that could be heard through out the home from any floor, the second floor, first floor, and even down in the Lab it could be heard since there were no other people there.
Upstairs in the Nursery Tommy was sitting in the rocker trying to feed Aaron.
"Come on, Aaron please eat. You did it so well last night...you need to eat...please", he pleaded with his son who was barely over 12 hours old.
He attempted to get the bottle into Aaron's mouth but again for the Nth time he rejected the bottle in his Mother's hand. Since they woke up that morning it has been an endless challenge to feed him.
Adam had early classes at the Dojo and couldn't help try any other trick to get their son to take the bottle even though he desperately wanted to stay, but he didn't have any back up to fill in and his parents and the girls were already gone. Possible reasons for the formula rejection flooded Tommy's head and some were probably ridiculous.
" Let's take a break, hmm? I think we both could use it.", Tommy suggested to Aaron even though he couldn't reply back.
He caressed Aaron close to the nook of his neck and slowly walked downstairs, and headed toward the living room and tried to see if some sound from the TV would help with the crying baby in his arms to eat or at least calm down.
Tommy was willing to try anything to get Aaron to accept the nip of the bottle of formula.
He put something on the TV that he knew he wouldn't totally get invested in and indirectly talked to Aaron, but it was mostly to himself as he walked around the first floor while slightly rocking his son.
"What's wrong with the bottle huh? It wasn't too hot was it or maybe it was too cold? Perhaps we should try warming it a little longer. See if that's the problem. Last night we probably did it just right and didn't know it since the surprise of you coming still on our heads...if only you could tell me.", he mumbled as set up another bottle attempt with one hand.
Aaron still fussing into his ear and that alone hurt him deep in his core.
While the bottle warmed up Tommy tried one of the tricks again, and checked Aaron's diaper to see if now a possible full or wet diaper was the reason of the newborn's distress. He laid him on a little blanket that he placed on the couch and unbuttoned the onesie exposing the diaper.
First, he gently squeezed to see if it was wet and that wasn't it. Next, he opened the diaper to see if it was occupied in a different manner since he wasn't hit with a smell...yet and that was a bust. In defeat, Tommy put a fresh diaper and went back to the kitchen to get their latest meal try.
The former power ranger settled into his favorite recliner and adjusted Aaron in his arms and supported him with a pillow. He silently pleaded that he'd take the slightly warmer bottle. Aaron grabbed at his hand more than the food. Pulling at his Mother's fingers and his watch.
The little baby seemed like he couldn't care less about the bottle, but still cried the most unsettling hungry cries one could hear.
Finally Tommy just gave up trying to think he could do it alone and didn't know what else to do. He dealt with a newborn before, two at once for a matter of fact, but with Aaron he felt terrible that nothing he did was working.
Tommy could feel tears start to flow down his cheeks. He was overwhelmed with despair.
"Oh god look at me. I've faced worse than this with monsters trying to destroy me, practically everyday... and now I'm crying over a silly little bottle...and I haven't succeeded with you at all. Aaron, you must hate me.", he placed the bottle on the coffee table in front of him and looked at Aaron teary eyed as the newborn gripped at his sweater.
He picked up the phone and called Adam.
Adam had just wrapped up one of the classes and the last student had left. He heard his cell ring from his duffle bag, and went to answer, " Tommy, What's wrong? Is Aaron okay?". What he got for an answer he wasn't entirely sure what it was since it was muffled by the tears from both his husband and son.
"He won't eat Adam! E-every time I've tried he either spits out t-the formula or or won't even accept the nip! Aaron hasn't eaten! What if he hates me and a-and just being here is what I'm doing wrong!", is all he understood.
Once he was able to get a word in Adam finally could try to calm Tommy down. "Whoa whoa whoa! Tommy, Aaron loves you. There's no question to that. You're his mother... Have we thought to check if he's got a gas bubble trapped? Just cuz he was born yesterday doesn't mean it couldn't happen.", he said trying to give some sort of help from his end.
The only back up he was gonna get wasn't able to show up for a little over another hour and a half so he was stuck at the Dojo. It killed him that he could only offer any suggestions that came to his mind in amy hope to help long enough until he could get back to them and take over for Tommy who probably hasn't had anymore sleep.
Once he gave the last of anything he could think of at that moment he told Tommy that he'd see him and Aaron soon. It hurt him that he couldn't help much more since he was just as confused as his husband who seemed to let hormones win. There was about 20 minutes until students for the next class to start showing up and Adam decided to take advantage and call his brother-in-law David.
"Hey David, I know you were going to pop by later tonight, but I'm stuck at the Dojo for roughly another hour and I think your brother is losing to his hormones...and im worried about him...", he sounded like he was begging and he knew it.
David gave a slight laugh to the unnecessary plead, "Of course I will go. If my little brother needs me I'll be there quicker than you can blink. No need to ask.", after a few quick spoken thank yous the two hung up and David headed toward the little house in the woods.
Back at home,Tommy was practically having a full on war with fighting back tears. He started to feel lower than dirt, helpless and horrible. He had turned off the TV when the whatever was airing annoyed him more and added to his self-despair. He offered his hand to Aaron and the newborn grabbed at his thumb.
Amongst his little son's starving cries he heard a knock at the door and grumbled at the thought of someone bothering him right now.
"Who...is... it?!", is all he could say through his sniffles and actually got a little happy when he heard his big brother's voice on the other side of the door.
David let himself in after his presence was acknowledged and found Tommy in the recliner with a crying newborn and on the verge of breaking down himself.
" Tommy, what's the matter?", he asked as he caressed the man's damp cheek and wiped a tear away with his thumb.
No matter how old they got, David would always do whatever he could for his younger brother.
Tommy looked down at Aaron in his arms, " He won't accept the bottle. He hasn't eaten... What if he actually hates me David? What if there's something wrong we can't see? I've tried anything I could think of and nothing's working!".
The concerned big brother took Aaron into his arms and decided to try feeding the newborn himself. Hoping that his nephew was just being seriously stubborn.
"First of all, little brother. Stop with thinking he hates you because it's definitely not true. You could be a bit annoying but that's mostly from a brother's opinion. This little guy is trying to tell us something, but that ain't it. We're just not seeing what it is yet. Maybe with me we can figure it out.", David said as he looked down as his nephew.
The two brothers kept up a small conversion mostly in David's attempt to bring his brother back down. Occasionally they brought up ideas to try with Aaron to see if there might've been something that wasn't thought of. Slowly it seemed that David's plan to calm him was working. Slowly but surely.
They talked about little things they did during their childhood and teen years. Occasionally giving a small laugh when they remembered something embarrassing.
Tommy and David were now sitting next to each other on the couch and Tommy was leaning his head on David's shoulder.
" What have I been doing wrong David? I've dealt with babies before, my own , and he's not taking the bottle. He did last night...and not being able to feed him is killing me." Tommy said as he sat up straight.
Just at that moment something about his brother caught David's eye. Two things actually; he noticed Aaron who was in his arms was focusing on Tommy as he did a sucking motion with his mouth and that there was two dark marks peeking through Tommy's sweater.
"Have you guys tried....breastfeeding Aaron?", David started signalling to Tommy's chest and the small marks.
In a shock and embarrassment Tommy instinctively crossed his arms across his chest and said something about it never happening before. David handed Aaron back to Tommy and noticed he was clawing at his brother's sweater.
" We've never thought about trying it. When the girls were born nothing like this ever happened. No staining. No discomfort. Noth-", just at that moment David reached for Tommy, opened his sweater and pulled up his shirt while ignoring any of his protests.
This was all a shock to Tommy especially when he saw that Aaron followed his Uncle's lead and latched onto his chest and had been adjusted a little and settled onto a pillow in his Mother's lap. There was no more crying from Aaron,and a small cheer from David accompanied by a little victory dance from him too.
Tension had left the space and a sense of relief and joy took it's place. David looked up at Tommy who had happy tears in his eyes. The little baby boy was finally eating and doing so with a vengeance.
" He sure is enjoying himself", said a relieved David along with a small chuckle.
With his free hand Tommy stroked Aaron's little head. "I'm so glad h-he is. Wish I noticed sooner then we would've thought to at least try it.", he said with a small hiccup.
While Aaron ate the two brothers just talked about plans and more little things they remembered from when they were little.
The stories seemed to be working. Only emotion felt was slight embarrassment whenever David brought up a story where he had to save Tommy's tail as kids. Otherwise they had a completely calm and happy time.
"You didn't have to save me ALL THE TIME. I rescued your tail every now and again too. Who knows how much ice cream or lunch I got from you cuz you owed me." Tommy slightly stuck his tongue out at David.
"You know you're just asking me to flood your kids' heads full of embarrassing stuff once they're old enough to remember and hold it against you without realizing it." The older brother let out a maniacal laugh.
Tommy gave a little 'You better not' type of grumble since he couldn't do much more while feeding his son.
They were so caught up in their conversation that they didn't hear the front door open. Adam slowly walked in not wanting to interrupt them, and he was happy to see his husband was calm and that there was no cries so he knew it meant Aaron was happy.
" Tommy? David? ", he said to break his silence.
Hearing their names made both brothers jump a little, but instantly they both smiled when they saw it was Adam. He gave Tommy a kiss to the temple and kneeled down next to him when he noticed that Aaron wasn't feeding from a bottle but from Tommy.
" You can produce?...well it appears he's happy you can..but how'd you two figure it out?", is all Adam could say since he was amazed and happy at the sight.
His husband was happy and his son was enjoying his meal, very much as it appeared. All he got from Tommy was a sight shrug of the shoulders and head tilt pointing to David pretty much as a nonverbal "Ask him".
" We talked for a bit when I noticed two little marks on my brother's sweater and I acted on a little hunch. As you can see Aaron followed my hunch", David said while gesturing to the feeding newborn.
Aaron just then seemed to have finally had his fill and let go of his mother, but before he got a chance to burp him his father gently took him into his arms and after draping a spit rag over his shoulder started to burp him himself.
"Adam? I could still...", it surprised Tommy that Adam just jumped into helping. After a few surprisingly loud burps from the teeny tiny baby he cuddled into his daddy's shoulder and had fallen asleep.
" Tommy, he's my son too. I'm not just gonna sit back and make you do everything. If there's something I can do, which now feeding seems to be out for a while, haha, I'm gonna do. Just like with the girls. We're a team babe.", was the straight forward answer Adam gave.
David just sat back and admired the scene before him. Sure he helped out a little to solve a problem, but seeing this he knew his little brother really was in good hands with Adam and that his new nephew was alright which he like everyone else was worried about made it even better. Because everything was now all calm and better David was able to mess with his little brother at little bit granted that he just had a baby the day before.
He got up behind Tommy and wrapped his arms around his shoulders, "Big brother had to come save the day huh? And ya couldn't be without me for even 12 hrs could ya?".
After having his hair messed with Tommy got up gave his brother a hug.
" Yeah yeah. But thank you so much David. I don't know how long it would've taken for us to even think about that. You helped out big time, and you helped bring me back from a breakdown. I almost let Aaron and hormones win".
Daddy and baby had disappeared and next they knew Adam was walking downstairs with no Aaron, and told them he had laid him down in his bassinet still asleep.
Just as promised David was going to stay another day or so like he did with Melanie and Alina just in case the parents needed a well deserved second to themselves. All 3 of them were glad that Aaron was now properly fed even though he did almost beat them with confusion. But they did learn something new with the new member of the family,and he just as difficult as the rest of them