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Oh no!
No, no, no!
Daddy's going to be so mad!
That's what's on repeat in little Stevie's mind while he stares at the mess of shards on the floor.
He just wanted to make himself a snack and then he wasn't careful enough and BOOM!
The bowl had shattered right in front of Stevie, leaving shards around his feet and fear in his bones.
"Sweetheart? Everything alright?" His Daddy shouts from the living room.
Stevie's eyes widen and he crouches down to start picking up the mess before Eddie can get to him.
"Steve, stop!" He exclaims and Stevie whimpers.
Daddy never shouts at him. He also never calls him Steve when he’s little.
He's going to be so mad and then he won't love Stevie anymore.
Eddie quickly walks over to him and pulls him away from the shards. Then he wraps his hands in a wet towel to stop the bleeding.
"I is sorry, Daddy, so sorry." His voice is wobbly as he talks, making the Rs turn into Ws.
"Please don't hit me, Daddy, I promise I won't do it again! Stevie will be careful." He whimpers as tears roll down his red cheeks.
Eddie's eyes widen in shock.
"Hey, sweetheart, everything is okay. I'm not going to hit you, baby. Please let me look at your hand, I think you have some nasty cuts." He soothes him and guides him to the bathroom.
He sits Steve down on the closed toilet lid and takes off the towel. The bleeding had mostly stopped but they still need to clean the wounds.
Steve winces just a little as Daddy disinfects his cuts and puts plasters on him, making the little giggle a bit by pressing light kisses on his hands.
With Steve now fully bandaged, they walk back into the kitchen where everything is just as they left it.
Eddie helps Steve hop on the counter, that way he can‘t get any more cuts.
He grabs the dustpan from the closet and gets to sweeping.
Stevie watches Daddy intently as he cleans up his mess. His lip is still wobbly and he doesn't really trust himself to speak without starting to cry again.
So he just stays quiet.
The calm before the storm.
He knows that Daddy said he won't punish him, but something in his head just can't stop thinking otherwise.
He was a naughty boy, he needs to be punished. He's okay with that as long as Daddy will love him again after the punishment.
At least that's what his real father told him, every time he punched his face and slapped him around.
Eddie is just throwing the shards into the trash as a stray tear breaks loose from Steve's eye and rolls down his cheek, onto his shirt where it forms a tiny, wet patch.
The little is shivering at the foresight of whatever punishment his daddy seems fit.
He flinches only a bit but just enough that Eddie catches it when he lays his arms around his shivering little.
"Ssh, sweetheart. Everything is fine. Look, I cleaned it all up. Can you calm down a little, darling? Take a deep breath for me, baby."
He sits them both down on the floor, Steve's back pressed to his chest as he tries to match their breathing.
His fingers card through Steve's hair which makes the little curl further into Eddie.
"Can you tell me what's going on in your pretty, little head? I'm a little worried about you baby."
Stevie tenses up for a second but then he mumbles something.
"Sorry, baby, I didn't quite catch that. Can you repeat it for me, please?" Daddy asks him kindly.
"I-I just don‘t like getting punished, Daddy. B-but I want daddy to love me. He doesn't love me if he can't punish me." Steve whimpers.
"Oh my darling, that is so, so wrong. Daddy always loves you even when he has to punish you. But you don't need a punishment, you weren't naughty. You just had a little accident. Things like that just happen and I already cleaned it up." He tells Steve softly, rubbing a hand down his back.
"And baby?" He asks and tilts Steve's head up, so he has to look at him through teary eyes.
"I will never, ever hit you. Do you understand? I promise, I will never harm you in any way."He explains and Stevie looks at him with big eyes.
"Yes, Daddy, I understand. Love you, Daddy." He whispers and buries his head in Eddie's neck.
"I love you, too, baby."