Cherry Blossom | TRACOB

Thirteen

Joel hopped up onto the bed beside Jacob, getting under the blankets and curling up, careful of his arm. He started purring almost instantly and fell asleep before Troye could even get back into bed. The older neko sighed and climbed into the bed beside Joel, looking over and Jacob with an annoyed expression, curling up and closing his eyes. Jacob watched him as he drifted off to sleep, his ears twitching as he dreamed.

The man sighed and got up, deciding he had better take care of his 'problem' or he would never be able to sleep, walking into Troye and his bathroom. He was slightly upset that Troye had fallen asleep so fast, but at the same time it was a good for the kitty as he had two kittens to look after and another on the way.

Once Jacob was back in bed he looked at Troye, the kitty's nose scrunched up and his ears still moving as he cuddled up with Joel, purring quietly. Jacob was so thankful for Troye. To think that he had found that kitty at a strip club, their relationship literally starting with an overpriced lap dance. The stress that had come when he was pregnant with Joel and having to help him through that only strengthened their relationship, the joy and love that radiated from the both of them when they found out he was pregnant again with Riley. And now a third baby? This one was unplanned but Jacob had been waiting for Troye to start asking again, it was nice that it had happened quietly, cutting out the days (and nights) of yowling and crying and begging. Not that Jacob didn't love it when Troye begged, but he liked it more when it wasn't out of pain and happening at three in the morning on a Monday night while the existing babies tried to sleep.

Jacob smiled at the portion of his family that was with him one last time before switching off the bedside lamp and settling down, laying one arm over Joel and Troye protectively.

🐾🐾🐾

"I really don't feel well Jay," Troye said with a frown, his hands on his stomach. "I feel nauseous." He looked flushed and his tail was flicking slowly against the sheets.

Joel had already gotten up and him and Riley were downstairs watching cartoons and eating breakfast. Hari was working on packing as she had to fly out to New York later that day, and she wanted to have everything done so she could spend the rest of the time with the boys.

"How about you just stay in here then? I'll go down and feed Riley and while you rest, then I'll come back up and run you a bath, yeah?"

Troye nodded with a sleepy smile. "That sounds nice," he said. "Can you bring some milk up with you too? And warm it up?"

"Anything for you," Jacob replied sweetly, kissing Troye's forehead after brushing his curls out of the way. "I'll be back."

Jacob left the room and pulled the door shut so it would be quiet, going down the stairs to find Joel finishing off his eggs, offering Riley tiny pieces as he went. "Good sharing," Jacob said with a smile, ruffling Joel's curls. Joel smiled up at him and Riley mirrored his actions before reaching up and requesting to be picked up. Jacob picked him up off the floor and balanced him on one arm as he got out a pre-mixed bottle and put it in the microwave.

"Where's daddy?" Joel asked casually, eyes widening after a moment of thought. "You didn't hurt him again, did you? You better not have hurted him dad!"

"It's you better not have hurt him, Joel. Not hurted. And your dad is just feeling kind of sick today, so that means we're on our own."

"Oh." Joel instantly relaxed and went back to eating the last of his breakfast, crawling on one arm over to Jacob once he was done, rubbing his cheek against Jacob's legs as the microwave finally beeped. The three of them went to the couch afterward. Joel laid on the floor and set his arm on a pillow to elevate it, watching Max and Ruby with his tail stuck straight up with the very tip of it peaking over the side of the couch. He had a little white tip on the end of his dark brown tail, meanwhile Troye's tail was a lighter, chocolatey brown and didn't have any markings on it. Troye's was slightly fluffier too, which was fun to tickle Jacob with just to annoy him.

Riley finished his bottle and asked to be let down, ruining the peace as soon as he was released. He grabbed onto Joel's tail and pulled, his older brother hissing in surprise and almost scratching him as he spun around, pulling his tails out of Riley's hands and holding it protectively. "No Riley! It hurts when you pull on kitties' tails!"

Riley looked at Joel for a moment with big blue eyes before bursting into tears, turning away from Joel and making grabby hands at Jacob.

"I didn't mean to make him cry!" Joel said, his own lip starting to quiver.

"It's okay Joel, I know you didn't mean to." Jacob sat Riley on his lap and stuck a soother in his mouth, patting the couch beside him for Joel. Joel just shook his head and crawled away, curling up on the pillow in the corner and pulling at his red collar. He was just like Troye, if he did one thing he would feel way too guilty and curl up, letting it eat him away until he was provided with a distraction.

If he was honest, Jacob had no clue how Troye could take care of these kittens, Jacob, occasionally Hari, the house, and himself all at once. It was barely nine in the morning and Jacob was honestly ready to go back to bed. Luckily Riley was feeling the same way and fell asleep, so Jacob was able to set him down and comfort Joel.

"Come here buddy," he said, scooping Joel up and setting him on his hip easily. "How about you help me get Troye comfortable and then we can make some cookies?"

Joel's blue eyes lit up. "Cookies?" he asked with a sniffle, wiping his tears away with the back of his hand.

"Cookies. Let's go run your dad a bath though, okay? We need to make sure he feels as good as possible."

Joel nodded and smiled, leaning his head on Jacob's shoulder as they made their way upstairs, starting to run the bath and dropping some lavender oil into it. "It smells good," Joel said, sticking his finger in before scrunching up his nose and recoiling, shaking his finger off. "I don't like water."

"I know you don't honey, I know you don't."

-

I hope a rib stabs into my lung and kills me