Hush now {DDLB}

First night

It was dark. The moon was high in the sky and the lights outside were flickering orange.

Owen had been playing with all his new toys for the rest of the evening and by 8 he was fast asleep. Richy had placed him gently in his cot and made sure he was snuggled up with his brown bear he had named Bonni and a fluffy blanket. The other toys he had adored too; rabbits, dragons, fish and alien creatures with horns and tentacles. He loved them all and tired himself out getting to know them.

Richy had stayed in Owens room for hours making sure his little baby was ok, and it was all going good so at 11 Richy gave Owen one last kiss goodnight and got himself ready for bed. He had a monitor set up just in case anything happened beside him before he went to sleep too.

It was past midnight when a scream of nothing but terror rang through the cottage.

Richy jerked up, head pounding and got up at the speed of light, he ran to Owens room and there he saw his little boy kicking and screaming, tears running rapid down his face.

He turned the big light on, no longer having to squint in the night light that illuminated the room.

Owen turned his head towards his daddy and made grabby hands still crying but thankfully no longer screaming, hiccuping instead and muffling any loud cries.

"Aw baby, did you have a nightmare? Shh shh shh, it's alright. Daddy's here. No more scary monsters. Shh shh shh." Richy had picked up Owen and now was rocking him in his arms.

Owen was sucking on his pyjama top but he didn't mind, as long as his baby was not upset he'd do anything.

Tears were still running down but less so, Richy had been wiping them and murmuring sweet nothings to get Owen to calm down.

Richy was surprised that Owen had settled down as quick as he did but was happy that Owen wasn't scared anymore.

He had walked downstairs to the kitchen and had gotten Owen a bottle ready. Then he sat down in the living room which Owen had yet to see. Owen gladly drank his warm milk, cuddling up into his daddy's arms as they wrapped tightly around him.

"Can you tell daddy what scared you?" Richy asked.

"Nuh, nuh." Owen shook his head.

"Why not baby boy? It will help daddy look after you." Richy began to stroke the back of his baby's head.

"Bad tuf." Owen whispered.

"What sort of bad stuff?"

"Bad man. Hurted me."

"Oh baby, I'm so sorry. You will never have to worry about being hurt by anyone ever again. I promise I'll keep you safe from the bad man." Richy kissed Owens forehead and hugged him tight.

"Weally?"

"Yes really."

"Pwinky pwomise." Owen held out his little finger and his daddy wrapped his own little finger which as about twice the size around his. A promise was made.

"Now let's go change you, then we can go back to sleep. How about that?" Richy stood up and carried his baby to his room and layed him down on the changing table.

"Wit oo?" Owen asked sucking on his fingers as his paci was gone.

"Sure, you can stay with me for the rest of the night." Richy said as he finished cleaning and changing Owen. Giving back his paci and taking his fingers out of his mouth.

"Tank oo daddy." Owen yawned and reached his arms to Richy. He obliged and walked to his own room.

It was simple and plain. Grey painted walls with posters of bands and movies he's liked over the past years, pictures of friends and families too. A bed, a side table and a wardrobe. Bookshelves full of old and new books; romances, mysteries, horror. It was his comfort for the years he's lived alone. It still is but now he has someone to keep him company and a baby to look after. Something he used to dream of, now coming true. He felt giddy when thinking about it.

"Just lay down baby boy. Daddy's here, nothings going to happen when daddy's here." Richy cooed as he tucked Owen under his overly fluffy duvet.

"Nini daddy." Owen whispered softly, yawning. His eyes flickered closed and he sucked on his paci until he felt his daddy curl up behind him.

They both feel asleep to the quiet of the cottage. No more disturbances for the rest of the night.

That was until Richy's 8 o'clock alarm went off. He'd forgot to turn it off, he wasn't ment to me waking up this early especially since what happened last night. It was his alarm for work but since he booked the week off just so he could start to look after Owen, he didn't realize it was still on.

"Daddy, wat tat ownd" Owen whined holding his ears and hiding his head under the duvet.

"Sorry baby, just my alarm for work. Forgot to turn it off." Richy said sitting up to turn off the alarm and picking up Owen to kiss him on the head.

"Ork?" Owen puzzled, cocking his head to the side as he was taken to be changed into a fresh diaper.

"Yes, daddy works in a library, full of books . There's also a little cafe in the back, it's amazing. You'll love it when we go." Richy picked out a outfit for Owen that consists of red shorts and a long sleeved striped top underneath a plain black one, a paci attached by fabric on that too.

"Rweally?" Owen asked.

"Yes, when I go back to work you'll come along and you get to make some new friends too." Richy had finished changing Owen and brought him to the kitchen, putting him in his highchair.

"Fwiends?" Owen asked.

"Yeah, I've got some friends who work with me and are regulars at the library and have their own little babies to look after. Just like you." Richy was heating up some porridge and would be adding in some raspberry jam. Warm milk too was being done.

Owen gasped and squealed, babbling endlessly behind his paci, jumping up and down in his seat, clapping widely. He couldn't wait to have friends. He didn't have any back at the home, they weren't allowed to see the others. Oh, how exciting it will be. Others! Like him. He couldn't wait.

"Here you go baby boy, now be careful it's hot. Blow on it to cool it down, okay?" Richy said as he placed down the red porridge down and the milk next to it.

Owen looked sceptical about the food in front of him. He eyed it and prodded it with the purple plastic spoon he'd been given.

"Daddy? Oo elp me?" Owen asked holding out the spoon.

Richy turned around from making himself a cup of tea and smiled happily at his little boy.

"Of course I can baby. I'm very proud that you asked for help." Richy said softly, feeding Owen.

He showed Owen how to blow carefully on hot food and made choo choo noises when he was bringing it too his mouth. This made Owen giggle and squeal, opening his mouth wide, wider than needed but Richy found it too adorable to tell him otherwise.

Owen was taking a break, taking sips from his sippy cup, warm milk with a hint of vanilla.

"Baby, can I ask you how old you usually are when you are like this?" Richy asked, he had been wondering exactly what age his baby was. The folder gave him a 4 year age range but he didn't think he would go between them all.

"One." Owen said holding up one finger, "oorrr too." Owen said changing his fingers and holding up two fingers.

"Thank you baby, you are very smart using words and fingers." Richy smiled, "we will go over rules after breakfast."

Owen eyes widened and his curiosity bubbled. Rules? He wondered what they'd be, hopefully not scary like he used to have.