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Life with a baby is a lot more weird than mane ever thought it would be. It's been a change that while wasn't expected, was kinda needed for the two of them. With wemmbu spending more and more time awake instead of sleeping, they both get to observe his little habits develop. Like that fuck ass stairing problem. Like genuinely, what is wrong with this baby. The guy just stares into Mane's soul for almost 20 minutes straight, then yawns and starts to cry. Like what the fuck? Just two tiny golden eyes that watch everything around him.
Thankfully the little guy is content to sit in his crib and stare at the ceiling for entertainment.
From what mane has come to understand while talking with some of the people in the village nearby. Wemmbu is a very easy baby. He eats, he very rarely fusses. And he only really cries when he wants something or needs attention. Other than that, the little guy is chill.
As time goes on, Mane unfortunately finds himself growing very attached to his new cub. Regardless of the starring issue.
The sticks under his feet crunch as he walks. The path was well worn and traveled frequently. It's the path that connects the treehouse to the training field behind the house. A path that both mane and flame would take almost 10 times a day. But with the baby, mane hasn't left the tree as much as he would normaly. And he can tell that not spending as much time with flame has been bugging his brother. So mane aims to make it up to the tiger.
Walking into the clearing out of the trees, he's blinded for a second by the sun. The orange blindfold missing from his face for the time being. He holds his hand up to block the sunlight as he catches sight of flame across the field. The kid has his back turned to mane, but mane knows flame heard him. His twitching ears gave him away. But flame ignores mane and continues to go through the motions of swinging his sword. Beads of sweat sliding down his forehead as mane approaches.
“Fix your feet.” mane corrects while walking behind flame. Taking a seat on the ground nearby. He gently lowers wemmbu down so he's laying in between his folded legs. The little dragon fast asleep from his bottle 10 minutes ago. His new blue onesie is soft and thin along with being a little bit big on the tiny dragon. Mane watches with amusement as Flame shuffles his feet around wordlessly. Adjusting his weight so he's more balanced and rooted in place.
“Better. Just because you're tired doesn't mean you can start to get sloppy bro.” Mane scolds, but his face is relaxed. A lack of tension obvious by the slouch in his spine. He leans back on his palms as his calculated gaze roams over flames movements. His baby brother has gotten better lately but he still has so much more to improve on.
“Bro, like if you just came here to like nit pick me, why don't you pick up a sword yourself and fight me?” flame huffs out, dropping his stance and wiping the sweat off his forehead. The scorching sun beating down onto the grass and heating the metal weapons around them. Mane chuckles but shakes his head.
“Nah bro. You're doing great. Plus, someone's gonna make sure this one doesn't end up eating any sand.” Mane picks up one of Wemmbu’s curled up fists and wiggles it in the air lightly like he was protesting.
“He's not going to eat sand.” flame rolls his eyes behind the blindfold. “Look at him, dawg is lost in the sauce.” Flame mutters as he approaches. Crouching down in front of both mane and wemmbu. Poking the baby's cheek who just coo’s in his sleep. His little tongue pushing the pacifier out of his mouth.
Mane offers the pacifier back to the sleeping infant, who takes it without fuss before laying his hand over the infant's chest. Feeling the rise and fall of Wemmbu's breathing. The strange coolness of the baby flooded into his hand as he repeatedly patted the baby soothingly.
“Yeah, but I just got him to fall asleep. I'd rather keep him that way.”
“Boo.” Flame mumbles, flopping down into the grass besides the two of them. Mane can feel the heat radiating off of the other. He huffs softly before patting flames back. Now he has one hand patting both of his cubs. An odd sense of pride filling up his chest. Both of his cubs being next to him letting him sit there at ease and gaze up at the sky. Watching the clouds dance across the pale blue sky.
“....oooo-” mane glances down at wemmbu, seeing the little dragon had spit out his pacifier once more and woken up. His hands and legs start to wiggle around as he puffs his chest out to make some sounds. Mane raises a brow while flame spins on his stomach and hooks his chin over mane's knee to see the baby. Both of the cats watch the little dragon puff up his chest and croon. Tiny noises and huffs fill the air as he stares directly into Mane's eyes.
“... I'm going to laugh if he's shitting his diaper."
Mane snorts before shaking his head. Ruffling flames hair while being careful of his ears.
“Nah. I think he just wanted to be included.” Mane watches as a light bulb goes off in flames head. The teenager springing to his feet and digging in the bushes by the edge of the clearing. Mane raises a brow before turning his attention back to wemmbu. Who has discovered he has hands and is trying to shove one in his mouth.
“Ew dude. Don't do that.” He redirects the infants hands to the side. Watching the little purple tail whip back and forth. “-..aooooooo-” “you sound like a little wolf.” Mane pokes Wemmbu's pudgy little cheek before turning his gaze back to flame who has procured a thick looking stick out of the shrubs. Hacking the loose branches and leaves off with his sword.
…fantastic uses of netherite he supposes.
He watches flame snap the stick down smaller before back to them both. He reaches into mane's pocket without asking and pulls out his pocket knife. “-wh- dude???” Mane goes to snatch it back but flame moves out of his range. Sitting down across from them both. Starting to widdle down the stick. Mane gives him a look but sighs, turning his attention back to the very talkative infant.
“-ahhhoooooooo- aaaa-”
“oh yeah? What else happened?”
“Aaaaaooooowww- abababa-”
“really? What did you do about it?”
“Bbbboowwwwww-aammm-”
A wood chip comes flying at them from flame on accident but mane blocks it from hitting wemmbu with his hand. Flame being too into his work to notice. Mane sighs again, something he feels like he's been doing a lot lately before picking up wemmbu off his back and moving him so he's leaning back against mane. His head and back supported by mane's chest. Offering his forgotten pacifier back to the wiggly dragon. Wemmbu takes it for a second, long enough so that Mane takes his hand away. Before the plastic soother is dropped onto the dirt.
“...you did that on purpose.”
“Done!” Flame sets the knife down, holding his creation out to mane. Mane takes it with careful hands turning the wood over. He smirks looking at the rushed knife work but it's still a nice gesture.
“A little wooden sword for a little warrior.” Mane offers the stick to wemmbu who instantly latches onto it. His fist gripping the wood. He stares at it intently, his tinny golden eyes squinting as he investigates the new toy. He squeals, wiggling his legs and arms. Flame crawls closer, laying on his stomach right in front of wemmbu. He grabs a gentle hold onto Wemmbu's hands and guides his arms through the motion of a slice.
“-ting- woosh- bam! Here, hit mane.” and wemmbu must take that to heart because he starts smacking manes leg repeatedly while giggling. The little wooden sword repeatedly scraped against his pants.
“...damn. what'd you do to the guy?” Flame snickers.
“I think he's just spirited.” Mane grabs Wemmbu's flailing hand to hold it still. To which the dragon responds by squealing so loudly before apparently giving up and falling still. Yawning quickly afterwards.
“I guess it's nap time.” mane says softly, going to pick wemmbu up. But flame beats him to it, whisking wemmbu away to rest on his chest. Looking at mane with a shit eating grin.
“My turn.”
Mane looks flame up and down before shaking his head.
“Go for it dude. I need to take a shower anyway.”
Both of them standing up. Mane taking a second to make sure flame is holding the little dragon correctly. Letting out a little huff of satisfaction before turning around and heading back towards the treehouse.
Following that same path that they have used for years. One that mane used to make flame hold his hand the whole way down or else the little tiger cub would run off into the woods. But now instead of it being a 16 year old Mane holding his 9 year old brother's hand - it's a 16, almost 17 year old flame, walking down the path with the newest edition of their pack held safely to his chest. And Mane, regardless of his reputation, smiles.