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Night time fell upon the Favela. The home in between the desert and the mainland. Home to the, relatively, new members of the island.
Forever and Richarlyson were outside. The blond man was sitting on a hillside, tinkering a broken machine Cellbit gave to him before leaving with Felps to go on an mining expedition.
As it slowly got darker and darker into the night, Forever huffed out in frustration at the device. Not only was it a small, it was far too damaged and he was too irritated to focus on anything.
Gears kept popping out of place and everytime he did something right, something else would go wrong. When Cellbit comes back from his adventure, he has to ask what did he even do to get it like this.
"Richas!" Forever called out, shouting for his son. "Time to sleep!"
He looked around the grassy and sandy plains before landing on his son playing football in the field. He watched as Richarlyson kicks the ball from the middle of the field and straight into the goal. Jumping happily when he scores.
The dragon hatchling had begged to play outside since the moment he woke up. The blond man didn't know why but made time to watch over him as he plays.
"Wooo!!" Forever cheers, getting up and running towards the child. "You did it filho!"
Richarlyson turns around just in time to be lifted up into the air by the man and spun around. He giggles as he raises his arms up into the air, his large afro curls covering his eyes but his big smiles gives away his excitement.
After the bull incident, the little boy lost a leg. Thankfully, Mike created (in record time) a bionic leg fit just for their little dragon. It took a while for the kid to get used to it but he's just happy Richarlyson has accepted it as a part of his life.
Though, he doesn't know how Mike made it. He just knows that if he could make a working leg with the materials he had in the beginning, he shouldn't piss him off with the materials he had now.
He pulls his child close to his chest and holds his head with his right hand, peppering Richarlyson's head with kisses.
"Meu deus!" Forever pulled the dragon away from his nose. "You smell terrible." He faked gagging to prove his point.
Forever pushes the heavy curls up to see furrowed eyebrows and a frown on his son. He had to hold back a smile because he knew Richarlyson would be even more upset.
Oh, but can you blame him if he smiles? The dragon was too cute, he had the man wrapped around his finger and he didn't even know it.
"Kidding Richas-" he giggles, kissing the boy's forehead. "-but you do have to take a shower."
The boy nodded his head and wraps his arms around Forever. He has to stop himself from squealing at the endearing action and starts walking back to his house.
Along the way, the boy yawned and laid his head on his shoulder. Forever wraps him arms tighter around the boy to prevent any falling occuring (also because he wanted Richarlyson to be comfy as he could).
Forever reached the door to his house and realized a problem with it. Opening the entrance without any free hands and a sleeping baby is much harder to do than say.
He tried multiple times to take one arm off and open the door quickly but after the fourth try he gave up on the solution.
He did not want to wake up Richarlyson but he would also didn't want to sleep outside where monsters were lurking.
"Filho." Forever whispers in the hair-covered ear, "Wake up, I need your help."
Richarlyson's head lifts and turns slightly, facing his parent's face before looking behind him and reaches to open the door.
They enter and Forever puts the boy back onto the ground, yawning louder than before and gets ready to sleep but was rudely interupted by his own father.
"Richas, you have to take a shower."
Richarlyson shakes his head, the only thing on the dragon's mind is to sleep.
"Richas," Forever sighed, kneeling down to the boy's height. "You said you would remember?"
The boy refused so the man had to use rather extreme measures (he bribed Richarlyson with sweets and candy in the morning).
The bathing wouldve taken shorter if it weren't for a certain someone playing with the soap and asking for head messages during shampoo time but they came out fresh and clean.
Richarlyson wore his clothes and sits on the bed while Forever helps take off his bionic leg. The blond put it to the side, not so far away from the bed, and tucks the dragon in.
"Okay, goonight Richas." Forever smiles as he kisses the boy's forehead and turns to leave before feeling a hand tug on his finger.
"Richas?" Forever looks worriedly to his son. "What's wrong filho?"
The boy had a look of disturbance in his eyes. Not scared, not terrified, just worry and gazes at his father, holding onto his finger.
"Richas?" Forever whispered. "Something wrong?" He stares back, sitting on the bed and pulls the child onto his lap.
Richarlyson clings onto him and shoves his head into the blonds chest, wrapping his arms around him. Forever gets surprised from the sudden action but can't help but look sadly towards his son.
"Richas?" Forever grabs hold of Richarlyson's hand and makes him face towards him.
He instantly knew something was wrong with Richarlyson. The beautiful brown eyes that was always filled with glee began to water and tears fell as he sniffles, looking at (one of) his fathers.
He muttered a curse under his breath as he wipes the dragon's eyes with his fingers. He cups his sons face and kisses him on his forehead.
"Do you want to talk about it?"
Silence filled the room. The only sounds were the water splashing outside and the occasional zombie groans. It only broke after Forever feels Richarlyson shuffle off his lap and crawls over to his bedside window, overlooking the football field.
"We can play tomorrow, Richas. It's already dark outside." Forever stated.
The boy looks down to the red bed he was sleeping on, hands fidgeting with each other (he got that from Cellbit that's for sure).
"Plus," Forever continues. "We can play with Papa Cellbit and Felps tomorrow. Maybe even Papa Mike and-"
Forever stops talking as soon Richarlyson snaps his head at him. He shakes his head repeatedly and waves his hand immedietly after.
"Eh?" Forever says a bit too loudly than he liked. "Why not? You don't want to play football tomorrow?"
The child nods his head.
"Okay then we'll play tomorrow with Felps and Cell-"
Instantly, Richarlyson shakes his head. Disagreeing with the idea of playing with the other fathers.
Forever stunned by this. Thinking that somehow the other 4 (or is it 3?) somehow made their child scared about them. I mean, he gets that Cellbit can be loud at times and Mike and Pac being some sort of amoeba that can only split itself in two but they loved Richarlyson all the same.
"You don't like them Richas?" he whispered, acting as if anyone outside the house could hear them.
The boy shakes his head. Okay, so that theory isn't true thank god.
"Do they scare you?" Forever continued. "I know Mike and Pac are kinda like clones but they are still their own person." Forever explained. "Now thinking of it, I don't think I've seen them fuse together." he trailed off.
Once again, the boy shakes his head.
"Then what is it filho? You know you can tell me anything right." the blond man reassured.
The dragon looks down again, playing with the tails of the pillow. Pulling and pushing it back in.
Forever had enough of this, he had work to do but he knew he couldn't just leave his son like that. He sighed as he thinks of any other possiblities.
"So you don't hate the other fathers, that's good, you aren't scared of any of them, also good," Forever thought outloud. "But you cry when I mention them- Oh."
The realization dawned on the man within seconds. He could tell he got to the source of the problem seeing how Richarlyson was now wiping his new tears falling from his face with the back of his hand.
"Richas," he crawls slowly to boy and lays his back on the wall. "You don't have to worry about Cellbit getting hurt okay? He is very strong and Felps is even stronger than him, they'll be fine." he reassured.
Silence.
He sighed, pulling Richarlyson into his lap amd wiping dragon's face once more. "Filho, maybe you don't believe me but it's true. Papa Cellbit and Papa Felps are very strong. They are probably one of the most toughest people on the island, and they have all that power and courage and they use it all to protect you."
The boy raises his head, eyes now red because of all the crying, as he lets Forever continue.
"Papa Cellbit and Papa Felps even protected me once. They killed those monsters and saved me so no need to be worried about them okay?"
It was a white lie but anything to make his son feel safe, even if he's going to get teased by the other dads for that.
"But what sniffles about now?" the dragon speaks finally. "Who's going to protect us now?"
"I'm here, don't worry."
"You?"
Forever looks at the brown haired child sitting on his lap, shocked.
"Of course me!" The man sounded offended. "I am strong too you know!"
A laugh pours out of Richarlyson and Forever couldn't help but giggle as well, watching as the sadness get replace by happiness and cheerfulness.
This kid really does have him wrapped around his fingers.
"Meu deus, I will do anything for you Filho." he mutters, this time the child doesn't hear it. "Just to keep you happy."
As the laughter dies a yawn escapes the boys mouth again.
"Okay, what about this Richas," he laid his son down into the bed once more and tucks him in. "You sleep and I will watch. I promise I won't go anywhere. I'll be in the corner, trying to fix this thing Papa Cellbit gave."
Richarlyson nodded and turn to his side to sleep. Time pass and Forever hears small snoring coming from that side of the room.
He kept his promise and didn't leave that house even after confirmation of the child sleeping. In fact, he didn't even try to fix the machine at all.
The bed was comfy could you blame him.
---
Quiet sweeps through the Favela as Felps and Cellbit comes back from their trip. They looked around, trying to see anyone around but it was empty.
They shrugged and went to Forever's house, remembering they left their son in his hands. They wanted to see their son and if they were still awake or not.
They open the door and see Forever, laying on the bed, on his back sleeping as Richarlyson is planted ontop of him.
Unconciously, Forever holds the back of their childs head and puts the other arm behind his back. Nose scrunching everytime one of Richarlyson's many afro curls goes into his nose.
A 'click' was heard from Felps as he puts his camera away. They both walk out of the blond's house and giggling quietly.
They have so much blackmail now.