Work Text:
The house was unusually quiet, you realized, as you prepared breakfast for this lazy early Saturday morning. You were sure you had heard your husband and toddler son getting ready together earlier, and the little boy would normally be chattering happily with his father or watching cartoon and playing together.
You gave your waffle batter another mix before setting the large bowl to the side. You washed your hands quickly, your hunter’s instincts kicking in as you listened for any noises in the living room.
Suddenly, you realized there was a rhythmic clattering noise.
You recognized this sound. It was your toddler’s favorite toy laptop, but oddly, you did not hear a single peep out of the little boy during his playtime. For that matter, you also didn’t hear any sound to indicate your husband’s presence either.
Curious, you dried your hands on a kitchen towel as you walked into the living room. Immediately, you clutched the towel tighter, laughing aloud at the sight before you.
On the living room couch to the far right sat your husband with his laptop on his lap and his prescription glasses on his face, his gaze completely focused on his current task.
In the center, your three-year-old son also sat with a toy laptop on his small lap, along with a pair of fake toy glasses on his face. He also appeared to be focused on his own task.
To the far left next to your son, Happy Snowman also peculiarly had a laptop made from cardboard paper in front of him, as well as glasses made from paper on his face. Based on his colleagues’ attentive demeanors, you surmised Happy Snowman was also focused on… what he was working on.
“It is Saturday,” you pointed out, alerting your family of your presence, “Did you three bring work home today?”
Zayne chuckled and quickly typed a few more words before saving his file. “Sorry,” he began, carefully closing his laptop and setting it on the coffee table. As he leaned back, you happily plopped yourself down on his lap, smiling when he hugged you tight, his lips meeting your cheek. He apologized again as he fixed the flyaway hair framing your face. Calmly, he explained himself, “I just had inspiration for my speech. I wanted to jot it down before I forget.”
You nodded in understanding before casting your gaze to the little boy next to you, who seemed unbothered by his parents’ frequent display of affections. He continued to tap away on his toy laptop, his brows furrowing in deep concentration.
“And you, little man?” you teased your son.
He looked up with round cheeks. “I had a con’rence meeting,” he responded, and you nodded understandably with a gentle smile.
Zayne’s arm tightened around your waist as you leaned slightly forward, your eyes darting over to the snowman plushie next to your son. Curious, you asked, “And Happy Snowman?”
Before your son could respond, you found yourself pulled back on Zayne’s lap. Suddenly, his voice was near your ear as he answered for his son. “Happy Snowman is trading ‘socks’ apparently,” he explained, adding quietly, “I think he had meant to say ‘stocks’.”
“Where did he even learn that from?” you whispered back, bewildered by your husband’s explanation.
“I think it was from the little boy he had befriended during the previous park day,” Zayne explained, adding, “His father works with stocks.”
“Oh no!” the toddler cried out suddenly. “Happy Snowman was ‘ired.”
You glanced at your husband, eyes widened in confusion.
“…that boy’s father also shared with me he was… dismissed from work,” Zayne added belatedly, appearing to hold back his laughter at his son’s dramatic antics. He cleared his throat. “He had a lovely time with his new friend, and I…”
You raised your brow at your husband, asking nonchalantly, “And Zaynie also had a good time with his new unemployed friend?”
“Behave,” he quickly chided you, holding back his laughter when you wrinkled your nose at him teasingly.
A loud rumbling noise put an end to your teasing as both you and Zayne stared at each other confused. Suddenly, you felt a tug on the hem of your shirt and you and Zayne both peered down at the boy next to you. Your son had set his toy laptop to the side as he leaned in closer on his knees.
“Mommy… is breakfast ready?”
You and Zayne laughed, adoring the way your son sulked. Quickly, you got off your husband’s lap and picked up your son, balancing him on your hip. You helped him take his toy glasses off before you nuzzled your cheek against his.
“We can have some waffles ready in five minutes,” you told the little boy, seeing his lips still quivering, not pleased with your response. Sighing, you brushed his hair to the side, placing a quick kiss on his temple as you consoled him, “You can snack on some strawberries while I make them, okay?”
“Can I have ‘offee, too?”
You whirled around to meet your husband’s equally surprised face.
Zayne leaned down to eye-level with his son, amused by the toddler tilting his head to the side in confusion, not seeming to understand his parents’ odd reactions this morning. Zayne just barely maintained his composure as he offered a different suggestion to his son. “How about some hot chocolate instead?”
“Mmm…” The boy considered.
“With whipped cream,” you added already walking to the kitchen with your son in tow. Zayne followed closely behind, laughing when his son cried out in agreement:
“Okay!”
As you passed your son over to your husband, you whispered to Zayne, “Perhaps we need to monitor who he is befriending from now on.”
“Daddy?” the toddler piped up, unaware of his parents’ secretive conversation, “Does Happy Snowman need to go to the un’ployment office today?”
Zayne froze, and sighed helplessly. He nodded at you in agreement as he placed the three-year-old in his high chair. “Agreed,” he answered you.