"All the friends are playing by the lake. Only one of them, he doesn't want to get wet! So he's hiding in the reeds." Holden read the story and explained, then showed the page he was currently on. "I can't see him, can you?"
Nothing to be seen. "Anyway, apparently while his friends play, they splish with water and the reeds get wet. And, look!" He held the book under the water and, sure enough, the colours changed, revealing the cute thing in hiding - what was that supposed to be, a weird platypus? He had no idea. "Wow! There he is! Ah, but look, now he is playing with his friends, he realised water isn't so bad."
Well, that was the coolest thing that Gideon had ever seen. He had to take it in his hands and check it to make sure it wasn't a trick but no, it was actual magic. He frowned and then put it back in the water but it stayed the same this time. No new pictures. His eyes were wide with awe as he looked at Holden. His bath water was magic... how did he do that?
"Woah." Well, that blew his tiny mind. "Can you do it again?"
"Yeah, look. There's another one on this page too. Because Kitty here, she couldn't decide whether she wanted the dark blue bathing suit or the pink one. But, see, when we put it under the water... Look! The dark blue turns pink. So, as it says here, Kitty got to have both after all."
What a great and very simple trick. Holden hadn't been sure whether the book might be too childish for Gideon, but clearly not. Excellent, this boded well for the future. "Do you want to give it a try for the next page?"
The book had great mileage for Gideon and for the first time in a long time, he smiled and laughed. Well, amazing what a toy can do for a child. He grinned as he took it out of the water, looked through it once more and once he was done with the amazing magical book, he handed it back to Holden. "I want to get out."
He was wet and smelled of strawberries so he felt his mission was complete. He wanted to take Apple and explore more, read more, do more and -- Gideon yawned, his body rebelling against him. This day had been a lot and he was fighting against how tired he was. "TV time?"
"TV time," Holden agreed. He got to his feet to get the towel he had prepared. "Look, it has a ducky on it." Yellow and blue, a nice big towel for the little boy. He held it out in his arms and just used it to lift Gideon out of the bath and dry him off, taking the opportunity to hug him close for just a little bit. He wanted him to feel loved, feel appreciated, feel cared for. He knew it would take a while but ever moment helped.
"Let's get you some clothes, huh?" That said, he lifted Gideon up in his arms, stopped to pick up Apple and carried them both to the bedroom. There he set him down and then handed him the pyjamas that were already laid out on the bed. "Put them on, yeah? And, Gideon, do you like sausage rolls?"
"I think so. Like Greggs? My dad liked those." He didn't see his dad much but his dad got him one once. He didn't remember it though. He pulled out his pyjama top and pants, rubbing at his eyes tired as he tried to remember his dad more than anything else. His dad was a bit of a distant memory now, it was kinda weird but he did remember a sausage roll. Once.
"Do you have any videos?" He wondered if they'd watch boring TV or if he could watch something fun. Videos were the most fun, though his mom only owned one. It was Aladdin and he had seen it a billion times.
"Yeah, I got loads of videos. I'm a bit of a collector." All right, so sausage roll, making sure Gideon drank some water and they could sit in front of the television until he passed out. He assumed that wouldn't take long.
"You can pick a video to watch and if you fall asleep before we finish, we can watch it again tomorrow." He walked with Gideon down the stairs, holding his hand. Leading him over to the television, he opened the cabinet where he kept his videos, gesturing to the cartoons. "Pick whatever you want. I'll get us the sausage rolls and something to drink."
"You have the most things ever." Gideon informed him wisely as he pulled out a few boxes and looked at the cartoons before settling on a tape of the Ninja Turtles. He put it in the VHS player, because he knew what he was doing, and then he climbed up onto the couch. With a sleepy yawn, he got comfortable with Apple on the couch.
It was nice and he didn't have to sleep on it or anything. It was so cool. He could just sit on the couch, watch the ninja turtles and have fun.
"I like having fun stuff. And now you've got it too. We share." That said, Holden sat down next to Gideon and handed him the cup first, so he could hydrate. Once he'd drunk at least a little, he gave him the sausage roll as well. Then he sat down next to him, getting quite close. He watched the screen, quietly speaking to Gideon. "If you want, you can lean against me."
Sleepy little boy. Precious little boy. "If you fall asleep, I'll carry you to bed. And I'll leave the hallway light on, so you don't have to worry."
At first he didn't but after a few bites of food, some water and half a cartoon, he was slumped against Holden, struggling to keep his eyes open. They barely got to the conflict of the episode before Gideon was just fast asleep against him.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
hotasheaven) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
gay90s2023-08-16 08:00 pm
no subject
Nothing to be seen. "Anyway, apparently while his friends play, they splish with water and the reeds get wet. And, look!" He held the book under the water and, sure enough, the colours changed, revealing the cute thing in hiding - what was that supposed to be, a weird platypus? He had no idea. "Wow! There he is! Ah, but look, now he is playing with his friends, he realised water isn't so bad."
no subject
"Woah." Well, that blew his tiny mind. "Can you do it again?"
no subject
What a great and very simple trick. Holden hadn't been sure whether the book might be too childish for Gideon, but clearly not. Excellent, this boded well for the future. "Do you want to give it a try for the next page?"
no subject
He was wet and smelled of strawberries so he felt his mission was complete. He wanted to take Apple and explore more, read more, do more and -- Gideon yawned, his body rebelling against him. This day had been a lot and he was fighting against how tired he was. "TV time?"
no subject
"Let's get you some clothes, huh?" That said, he lifted Gideon up in his arms, stopped to pick up Apple and carried them both to the bedroom. There he set him down and then handed him the pyjamas that were already laid out on the bed. "Put them on, yeah? And, Gideon, do you like sausage rolls?"
no subject
"Do you have any videos?" He wondered if they'd watch boring TV or if he could watch something fun. Videos were the most fun, though his mom only owned one. It was Aladdin and he had seen it a billion times.
no subject
"You can pick a video to watch and if you fall asleep before we finish, we can watch it again tomorrow." He walked with Gideon down the stairs, holding his hand. Leading him over to the television, he opened the cabinet where he kept his videos, gesturing to the cartoons. "Pick whatever you want. I'll get us the sausage rolls and something to drink."
no subject
It was nice and he didn't have to sleep on it or anything. It was so cool. He could just sit on the couch, watch the ninja turtles and have fun.
no subject
Sleepy little boy. Precious little boy. "If you fall asleep, I'll carry you to bed. And I'll leave the hallway light on, so you don't have to worry."
no subject