Thank You

By the time David came over Alastar was nearly ready to leave. As the older man stood in the hallway, Al smiled sweetly at stole a kiss from his lips while pulling on his coat.

"He's asleep right now. Help yourself to anything in the kitchen. I will try not to be too long." Stealing another quick kiss, too much in a hurry to do much more, he made his way around David and pulled open the door. Pausing, he looked back. "Thank you so, so much for doing this for me." And with that, Al slipped out, closing the door behind him, leaving David alone in the hall.

It was school holidays, and Al's son Reuben was spending a few weeks with his father, only for the poor boy to come down with a fever. It had put a damper on David's plans of spending more time with them; he'd been planning various day trips out for them all. Today, David was planning on perhaps baking some cookies for the pair hoping that it would at least make little Reuben feel better even if cookies couldn't cure illness. Instead, Alastar had called, asking if David could come over and look after Reuben while he rushed out to carry out a few errands.

David was always happy to oblige and promptly came over.

Slipping out of his coat and hanging it in the closet where Al kept the coats, David made his way through the younger man's home. This was the first time he had ever been in Al's home without Al. Heading for the kitchen, since he couldn't bake cookies in his own home, he could just as easily make them in Al's kitchen. Provided he had the right ingredients of course.

Things seemed to be going well. Just as David slipped the baking tray into the oven, he could hear the sounds of someone sniffling. Standing up and brushing his hands over the apron, blue eyes fell to the form of the little five year old. He was dressed in a pair of pajamas that weren't overly fancy, and a pair of slippers were on his feet.

"Where's Daddy?" he whimpered, standing in the doorway to the kitchen, tears in his clear blue eyes.

Not only was this David's first time alone in Star's home, it was also his first time alone with Star's son. Taking off the dough splattered apron, the man knelt down before the sick little lad, offering him a big smile. "Daddy had to go out and buy medicine," he informed Reuben, tenderly running fingers through the mussed locks of brown growing from the five year old's head. "Why don't we go back to bed, hmmm?"

Roo shook his head. "Want Daddy," he announced.

Sighing softly, David smoothed his hand over Reuben's hair, noticing just how hot the little boy felt. "Well, I was going to and watch some T.V. while waiting for Daddy. Do you want to come too?" He had spent quite some time interacting with the little boy, even to the point where he'd given him the nickname of Roo. He was hoping that the boy would start looking to him for reassurance too, but he understood that when ill, most children tend to want their parents.

It seemed that Ben had to think about it, then gave a small nod, holding out his arms to the man. Smiling, David scooped him up and carried him to the lounge. In the strong, warm arms, Roo snuggled closer, content to have something warm to snuggle up to for now. When David went to lower him down onto the couch, Ben didn't let go, holding on even tighter.

"Roo?"

"No let go," the boy replied.

Nodding to show he understood and still smiling, David sat down, holding Ben close. Once he was seated, the little boy shifted to curling up on his lap, nuzzling against his chest. Using the remote control to switch on the television set, David settled into flicking through the channels, listening to Roo's breathing, the lad coughing and sneezing every now and again. After a few minutes, he looked down to see him with sleeping as peacefully as one suffering from a fever could. About to lay him down to go and check on the cookies, David heard the sounds of Al's door opening and closing. Glancing up at the door, David gave a boyish smirk as the younger man entered the room.

"Why does my house smell like cookies?"

"Do they smell like they're burning?"

Al arched a brow. "No..."

Another smirk. "That's good then. Oh, someone wanted his father."

Al smiled softly. "Shame he had to settle for you then, isn't it?" he teased, leaning over to capture the older man's lips in a sweet kiss. "He hasn't been bothering you too much has he?"

"Star, I would do anything for you, and I would do anything for him too. I love you both, but can you do something for me?"

"After that, anything David."

David grinned up at him. "Check on the cookies for me?"

Laughing softly, Al moved off to the kitchen. "You do know that you can carry him around, David," he called out from the kitchen. "Ben has always liked being carried while he's asleep. Has since he was a baby."

Listening to his love in the kitchen, David glanced down to the boy on his lap. Holding him carefully, he stood up. Another look to make sure Roo was still sleeping, he took careful steps as he walked into the kitchen, watching Star clean up the mess he'd been unable to. Roo kept his arms around David's neck, yet his hold was loose. head rested against the man's chest, legs wrapped around his waist. The moving from couch to kitchen had done nothing to wake him up.

"I used to carry him in one of those baby carriers that you wear," Al said. "Harmony refused to wear it, said it made her feel fat. But I could just hold him in my arms and Ben would sleep for hours. Back in my last school, before coming to Constance, I used to have Ben resting in my right arm while I worked on grading papers with my left."

David smiled at the image Al was describing, but a slither of jealousy ran through him. He had never had that kind of experience with Bailee.

Al noticed the slight change in facial expression. Moving closer to the man holding his son, he smiled, leaned up and kissed him. Lifting a hand, he drifted fingers over the smooth skin of his cheek. "So, did you enjoy today?"

He nodded softly. "Yeah. It felt strange at first, but now you're back it doesn't matter."

Tongue swept over Al's lips. "I didn't mean it like that. What I meant was, could you cope being here on your own?"

David was unsure what Star was trying to say. "Huh?"

"After I left, I realised how it would have been easier if you were here, rather than calling you to come over. Now I know that Ben doesn't mind so much you being here."

"He was crying for you," David added quickly.

"But he came to you for help. It's only natural he'd want me, but he didn't refuse you," Running fingers through his hair, Al gave a weak smile, unsure how to word himself. Instead, he settled for just saying it outright. "Move in with me?"