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"Sherlock, we should really talk about this..."
"There is really no need, John. As always, you're overreacting."
His parents were on the verge of arguing; nothing new. Hamish was used to it by now. Always the same scenario: Papa was trying to convince Daddy of something, and Daddy would brush him off, claiming to be busy with another experiment and whatnot.
It was nearly eleven pm, so the boy should have been long asleep. After all, he needed to wake up early to go to school. How dull. A place full of boring adults, who only pretended to be smart, whereas in reality they were thick as a brick. And none of the children in his class, besides him of course, could even read or write properly! Hamish truly hated that place.
Too bad that Papa was a doctor and Daddy could see right through every lie. It made feigning a cold and skipping classes really difficult.
Hamish opened the door to his room wider, careful not to make any noise. He crept barefoot to the stairs and perched on the topmost step while listening intently to what was going on downstairs. Initially, he had planned to sneak into the kitchen without being seen - like a ninja! - and grab some milk. A challenging mission when his parents were in the living room, but not impossible. He was nearly five and two months, so he was more than capable of doing so. But John's words and his deep sigh made Hamish freeze in place and prick up his ears.
"I'm worried about Hamish. His teacher had a long chat with me today..."
"And what did she say?" Sherlock tried to sound disinterested but Hamish wasn't fooled.
"That our son is exceptionally bright..."
"Hardly a groundbreaking discovery."
"...but he doesn't have any friends. He's all alone, Sherlock."
There was a long pause before Daddy spoke again. Maybe they wouldn't be arguing in the end.
"He is not alone, he has us."
"Yeah, but we're his parents. That's not the same. Besides, he's been bullied. After showing off his deduction skills and humiliating one of the kids in his class, he was apparently called a 'freak' and was physically assaulted. I asked him about this on our way home, but he didn't want to talk about it." Another sigh. “Having two dads doesn't help in being accepted either.”
Hamish heard the clank of a slide being forcefully removed from the microscope and being put down on the table. His Daddy's voice was dejected and dripping with bitterness.
"I never wanted him to be a hated, lonely freak. I've always hoped he would turn out to be more like you than like me."
"Hey, don't say that..." A soft and warm response.
Rustling of fabric, soft steps on the carpet, smack of lips against the other. The boy couldn't see it, but it was easy to picture his Papa leaning over his Daddy and closing him in a warm embrace.
"We'll talk with him tomorrow, okay? And how about going away for a weekend? You don't have a case right now, anyway. Remember how much fun Hamish had the last time we were on the seaside? Think about it."
Another long moment of silence. Hamish was keeping his fingers crossed and held his breath.
"Yes, that's a good idea."
The boy nearly squealed with joy but clasped his hands over his mouth to keep quiet just in time. He didn't want to be discovered.
"Yeah, I have them too, you know." Hamish could almost hear his Papa grin, wanting to cheer up Daddy.
"Once in a blue moon."
He could imagine Papa shoving Daddy playfully on the forearm. They both started to laugh.
"Hush, we'll wake Hamish up."
"Yes and that would be unfortunate, considering what we're about to do."
Spanking sound, gasp full of mock indignation, more giggles and even more kissing sounds. The boy sighed inwardly. His parents were busy doing adult stuff. Hamish never understood why they liked to kiss so much. It seemed gross.
Slowly, he stood up and slunk back into his room, not wanting to disturb them. The milk could wait till morning. The boy slipped under the blanket and hugged Mr. Bee, who was left to guard the bed while Hamish was away. The stuffed toy had performed his duties exemplarily.
"Papa and Daddy are wrong. I don't have friends. I’ve just got one," he smiled at his loyal companion and buried his face into Mr. Bee's soft body.