Snug As Three Bugs In A Rug

Four hours later he was still awake. He stared at the green-tinted ceiling until it stared back, twisting and swirling before his tired eyes. Broken rubbed his face and carefully crawled out of bed, tucking Remus and the kids back in. He quietly hopped downstairs, snuck into the kitchen, and started rummaging around for a drink. He pricked his ears as a pair of tiny footsteps followed him into the room. Tiny hands waved around blindly before hitting into his leg and latching on for dear life. “What’re you doin’ up so late kid…?” He whispered. “It’s past your bedtime…” Jax looked up at the shadowy outline of his head. “I wanted to go with you.”

”’M just gettin’ a drink…” he flicked his tail. “Can I have a drink?” He asked. Broken purred as he scooped him up, setting him on the counter. “You’d best go back to bed after this, you hear…?” “I hear.” He nodded. He flicked the kitchen light on with his tail and poured two big glasses of milk. He sat on the counter next to Jax and handed him his glass. “Thank you.” He stared into the milk like Broken did to his coffee when he was trying to absorb the caffeine through the steam alone. “You look like your old man when you do that…” he nudged Jax’s shoulder gently.

”Dad isn’t that old.” He said. “Hey…” he laughed. “‘M younger’n him you know…” “but you call yourself old.” He batted his eyelashes. “And uncle Branch and uncle Elion and uncle Bolt call you old.” “You need to stop hangin’ out with your uncles…” he pulled Jax closer. “But I like hanging out with them, they’re fun.” He drank his milk. “They’re more fun when they go to the beach… we used to toss uncle Elion in the water ‘nd tell him sharks were gonna get his tail…” Broken purred.

He giggled and leaned against his side. “That sounds fun, can we do that when it gets warm?” “Only if we go to your grandparents house, I don’t wanna clean up all that sand… ‘nd ‘m pretty familied out for a while…” he flicked his tail. Jax nodded. “I like grandma and grandpa and uncle Branch and uncle Elion and uncle Bolt. I like when they visit, but I want to sleep in my own bed.” “Grandma ‘nd grandpa said they’re gonna head home day after…” Broken trailed off and looked to the clock. “Tomorrow… not when we wake up but after that… gonna take all your uncles with ‘em…”

He nodded. “I like sleeping with you and dad, but I like having room.” “C’n kick your uncles out early if you wanna sleep in your bed tonight…” Broken offered. “But where would they sleep?” He asked. “They c’n bunk with me ‘nd your dad… not like we ain’t shared a room before….” “I want my room back.” He drank more of his milk. “When you finish that we’ll go back up to bed…” he flicked his tail. He nodded and watched Broken’s tail lazily flicking back and forth in the darkness. As much as he tried not to, his little eyes slowly wandered towards Broken’s legs. They both kicked back and froth lazily but only one had a foot following it.

He finished his milk and hugged Broken’s side. “If you and dad are both hurt who’s going to play with us once everyone goes home?” He pulled Jax to sit in his lap. “Me ‘nd your dad’ll still play… I c’n still run around plenty fine ‘nd he’s more’n good enough to chase you two around the yard…” he nodded and settled against his chest. “Can we play after everybody leaves?” Broken kissed the top of his head. “C’n play out back all you want tomorrow kiddo, just you ‘nd me…” he hummed happily and closed his eyes. Broken rubbed his back and gently rocked him back and forth.

”Love?” Remus whispered down the steps. “Handsome? Kitty?” He laughed quietly, carefully stumbling over to the stairs with Jax in his arms. “Yes dear…?” Remus stared at him for a moment before holding his arms out. “Bedtime.” He purred and started up the steps. “Alright sweets, gimme a minute…” Remus dozed off where he sat, arms still out but quickly drooping. “You want a push back…?” He whispered at the top of the steps. He nodded sleepily. “You hold this then…” Broken carefully set Jax in his arms and started down the hall. He took the two of them back to the bedroom and tucked them snug as three bugs in a rug with Charlie.