Dan and Phil... My Daddies

Fresh Fruit, Anime, and Opening Up

As soon as I had calmed down some my little space fell away. I was left worried about what Dan and Phil might think of me. They had said they wanted to take care of me. I've heard that before and it didn't turn out so well those times. Clearly I haven't had much luck when people find out I'm a little. Kicked out of my family home when my sister found my little gear stashed in the back of my closet. She was looking for a shirt I'd specially told her she could NOT borrow. So she thought she'd take it. Then Scott... I shuddered.

"What's up Cee?" Dan asked "Are you cold? Let me grab your blanket" Dan got up from the sofa before I could even say anything.

"Umm.. yeah thanks" I called after him, to late for him to hear. I glanced over at Phil and was surprised to see he was already looking at me.

"So. Hmmmm." Phil started awkwardly. "Tell me about you Cee. What do you like to do? To eat? To watch on TV? I want to know so I can do my best to help you. You've been treated unfairly. I want to do what I can to make it better."

I looked phil in the eyes for a few seconds at a time. Hiding behind my hair for moments before looking back again. Phil never took his eyes off of me. "Well," I started finally, hopping that if I answered his questions that he would stop staring. "I don't really know what I like to do. When I was back home all my time was spent working so I could save up to come here. I like most foods, especially fruits. I haven't gotten to eat fresh fruit in a long time because it's more expensive, but I like canned pineapple, you can make it into cake and I really like that!" I was starting to ramble but I couldn't stop myself.

"I like noodles, Mac n cheese obviously but all kinds of noodles really. I don't like peanut butter, I like almond butter instead... but that's to expensive so I can't have it. I like marmalade better then jam, but my grandma used to make the best raspberry jam in the WHOLE WORLD! She grew the raspberry's in her garden and then she put a little bow on each jar. She always gave me my own jar and no one else got to eat out of that one except for me. I really miss her. That's the hardest part of not being able to see my family anymore..." I wonder how she is... I trailed off, distracted with thoughts of my elderly grandmother who I love so much.

"Why can't you see her anymore? Did she pass?" Dan had returned, my Harley Quinn blanket in hand. He walked over to me and draped it onto my shoulders, wrapped it tightly around me and kneeled in front of my spot on the sofa, with his hands resting on the sides of my arms.

"No... I just... I can't go home anymore. I'm not welcome." I looked down, tears forming at the corners of my eyes.

Phil, understanding I wasn't ready to share that part of my story, asked me again about the TV.

"When I'm big I usually watch YouTube. Sometimes gaming, like The sims and Minecraft, but other stuff too. And when I'm little I like My Little Pony's the best. And I always like anime."

"How does this plan sound for our evening?" Phil asked "I'll go cook dinner, we can have Alfredo pasta and some veggies. You two can both come pick a fruit to eat while you wait, and you can watch some anime together while I cook. Maybe you could watch Avatar the last air bender. After dinner, we can set Cees bed up and then bath time for both of you. We can play a game after baths if you'd like. Bedtime in this house, Cee, is 1130 for littles, okay? How does that sound you two?"

I look at Dan, wanting him to take the lead. Are we going to be good little ones today, I tried to ask him with my eyes. "Daddy," Dan whined "Me n Cee Cee is not even tired. Can we stay up tonight pwease!!"

"No bubba. Not tonight. You have both had a very long day, besides by the time we're done with dinner and baths I think you will both be sleepy." Phil smiled at us. "Cee? What do you think? You don't have to follow our rules if you don't want to. I don't want to pressure you or go to fast. I need you to tell me what you think."

"I like the plan Phil. I want to follow the rules. I want to be a good little girl." My cheeks turned bright red and I couldn't meet either of the boys eyes. I hid behind my hair.

Phil put his fingers under my chin and pulled my head up. I looked at him "That sounds perfect sweetie" he smiled. "Let's go then! Come get some fruit"

Dan and I followed Phil to the kitchen. I looked into the large fruit bowl filled with apples, bananas, and oranges. Rather basic fruits, but to me a delicacy I hadn't had in a very long time.

"NANA" Dan called loudly smiling up at Phil "daddy can pwase cut it for me!"

"No problem bubba, and for you Cee?"

I stared at the bowl. "I.. umm... I don't know..." I stated.

"How about a fruit salad then?" Phil asked "you too Danny boy?"

"Yes!" Dan and I both agreed.

Phil cut up an apple while Dan peeled an orange and I did a banana. Phil quickly cut the banana too after I peeled it, and then we all got to put some of each fruit into a bowl. Phil even added an small scoop and vanilla yogurt to our bowls for a dressing. Dan grabbed us both a fork and we heading back into the living room to eat our snack and watch anime with Phil got started with dinner.

The rest of the evening passed in a sort of blur. We ate our fruit and noodles and broccoli. I took a record quick shower with soap Dan let me borrow. It was in a ninja turtle shaped bottle. Dan and Phil had finished the dishes by the time I got out and had put a spare T shirt of Phil's on over some shorts I had scavenged out of my box. Dan took his bath and Phil and I continued the anime from earlier. After dans bath Phil asked if I wanted to play. I hadn't been little sense just after my meltdown earlier and didn't feel like playing. Besides I could hardly keep my eyes open as I shook my head.

Phil said it was bed time shortly after that and Dan and I both got up without complaints. I made my way to the gaming room with Phil and he made sure I had plenty of blankets, both my stuffies, my pacifier, a bottle with water and a nightlight. "Good night Cee" he said as he helped me lay down "I'm so so glad that we found you." He pulled my blankets up and tucked me in.

My eyes already closing I mumbled around my paci "me too... thank you philly... for everything"

I thought I'd heard him say "anything for my baby" but I was already to far gone to be sure.