[C] Daddy's Back

Aodh had been gone for a while, sent on some mission by Aleksandr, so it had been just him and Darragh.

The boy had behaved well and he promised to take him into town to get a present for him, as well as for Aodh since his Lycan had called to tell him that he would be back home shortly.

Aeker carried the small boy on his shoulders as they moved through the streets of Catania.

"Where do you want to go first Darragh? Any idea of what we should buy for Daddy?"

He asked, tilting his head back a little to look up at the boy.

Darragh clung to Aeker's hair as he looked around.

Seeing things from this new height was incredible. Usually it was Aodh that had him on top of his shoulders, but Aodh was smaller than Aeker. It was amazing what a few inches could do to change the view.

"Athair likes drawing," the boy said after a long moment of thinking.

They could get his father some art supplies.

Darragh grinned, disentangling one hand so he could press his finger against Aeker's nose when he looked up.

Aeker chuckled as the boy's finger pressed against his nose, quickly catching it between his lips as he leaned up.

"Om nom nom."

He muttered with a smile as he pretended to eat the boy's finger off, finally releasing it when he spoke again.

"That's true, lets go to the art supply store."

He knew there was a specialty art store around here, they could get him some really nice stuff from there.

"Come on pup, lets go."

He added, bouncing the boy on his shoulders as they padded toward the store.

Darragh giggled loudly as Aeker tried to eat his finger.

"No, mommy!" he squealed, snatching his hand back and holding it protectively against his chest. He peeked down at his hand to make sure he still had all his fingers.

Yupp, they were still all there.

He giggled against when he was bounced, his hands moving to grasp Aeker's hair again.

Aeker got some strange looks when the boy squealed out Mommy but he had gotten over it, he was use to it at this point and it really didn't upset him.

Humans were simply small minded creatures.

The Vampire reached up as they reached the store, offering them to the boy.

"Give me your hands Darragh and I'll let you down."

They were too tall like this, if he tried to walk inside he was going to end up hitting Darragh's head on the door frame.

Darragh was completely oblivious to the strange looks they were getting.

He placed his small hands in Aeker's larger ones when they were offered to him.

He didn't really want to leave Aeker's shoulders but he'd hit his head on doorframes before because he wouldn't get down. That hurt and he didn't want it to happen any more.

He grasped the boy's hands and pulled him down from his shoulder's letting hims dangle in the air before setting him onto his feet and opening the door to the art store.

"Why don't you go pick out a new sketch book to draw in Darragh? You and Daddy have been filling up all the ones that home."

Aeker was more than happy to encourage the boy's love of music and art, they were things that went too under valued to society today, he wanted the boy to grow up knowing that his skills and hobbies had immense worth.

Plus, he was making sure to keep each of the boy's books and drawings safe so he would have them for years to come.

Aeker moved toward the artist grade books and materials, humming to himself softly as he picked up a beautiful looking leather bound sketch book, the inside filled with different papers which offered different effects when drawn on.

Darragh grinned at the prospect of getting a new sketchbook himself.

He scampered off immediately, looking for the books that Aodh usually got for him. The boy was still too young still to appreciate the different types of paper sketchbooks had, so Aodh bought him inexpensive sketchbooks with a lot of pages and good enough quality paper to keep Darragh happy.

The boy found his usual sketchbook and picked it up, holding it to his chest as he made his way back towards Aeker.

Aeker looked down at the boy with a smile, ruffling his hair softly.

"Do you need anymore pencils or markers?"

He asked, they may as well stock up while they were here, it wasn't as if they would go unused.

For Aodh he picked out a few special things, a calligraphy pen set which came in a charming wooden box as well as some high quality graphite pencils and a new palette of watercolours.

"Do you think Daddy will like these?"

He asked, leaning down so Darragh could inspect his choices, it was their gift to him after all.

Darragh inspected the pieces thoroughly for a moment.

He began nodding his head but paused mid-nod, running off to the part of the store he had been in a few moments before.

That part of the store was full of little trinkets and children's art supplies.

Darragh had always enjoyed looking through everything there and for that he was pleased now.

When he returned he held out an item in a clear plastic sleeve. A blue ribbon was sat in the package; the face of the ribbon reading "Best Daddy."

Aeker watched the boy run off curiously, but when Darragh returned his smile warmed immensely as he looked down at the little blue ribbon.

It was such a simple little thing but it warmed his heart.

"We will definitely get that for him."

Aeker muttered as he leaned forward and pressed a kiss to the boy's forehead.

"Lets go pay."

He added as he stood up, took Darragh's hand and led him toward the counter where they paid for everything before heading out.

They had one more little stop before they could go home.

He picked Darragh up again, setting the boy on his shoulders as they headed back down the street, picked up dinner.

With a bag of food in his grasp, as well as their art supplies in one hand and Darragh on his shoulders he headed back toward the car.

He had recently acquired one and Aodh had taught him how to drive properly, he picked it up very quickly.

He packed Darragh into his seat before heading back toward the mansion.

Darragh grinned widely as Aeker paid, blushing and hiding behind Aeker's leg when the cashier complemented him and his 'adorableness'.

He was a bright, open, cheery person, but he either took complements very well or couldn't take them at all. Today was a day he couldn't take them at all.

When they were out on the street again, he happily perched on Aeker's shoulders, resting his arms on top of the Vampire's head.

"Mommy, do you think Athair will be home when we get home?"

Aeker started up the car and slowly pulled out of their space, driving toward to mansion.

"I hope so, I miss him a lot, do you?"

He asked, glancing down at the boy in the seat beside him. He had grown accustom to Aodh having to go to the mainland, but that was before they got Darragh, the Lycan barely spent a day away from them now, having him gone for just a night was horrible.

"Uh-huh."

He really missed having his father around.

He'd gone years not having him around and now he finally got to live with him. Any day without Aodh around was almost torture.

The boy looked up at Aeker with wide, panicked eyes.

"Do you think he doesnt want to come home?" he asked in the illogical way only young children ever could.

Aeker shook his head instantly.

"Of course he wants to come home, I bet he is missing you heaps. He didn't want to go but Grandpa said he had to."

He explained to the boy, he didn't want Darragh thinking that he was going to be abandoned every time Aodh had to go somewhere.

"He is never going to leave, and neither am I."

He confirmed as they pulled into the mansion's gates.

"Come on, lets go see if he is back yet."

With that he got out of the car, grabbed their shopping and took Darragh's hand, leading him back up toward their room.

Darragh pouted. "Gramps is a meanie."

Alek was mean for sending Aodh away on this trip. Darragh wanted to spend lots of time with his father.

The boy grasped Aeker's hand tightly as the two made their way through the mansion.

When they got to the familiar hallway, Darragh dashed forwards towards their room, throwing the door open with a bright excited grin.

The grin faded into a sad expression when his green eyes flickered over the empty room.

Aodh wasn't here.

"Grandpa has his reasons."

Alek wouldn't take Aodh away from them without a good reason to do so, he knew that.

Aeker padded after the boy, slightly worried as the boy threw open the door...for that exact reason.

Poor Darragh looked heart broken.

"He will be home soon Darragh, I promise."

He muttered, leaning down beside the boy and rubbing his back gently.

The boy's arms wrapped tightly around Aeker's neck.

He sniffled softly, his body shaking as he pressed up against Aeker for comfort.

"I-I want athair," he whimpered softly, his voice cracking as tears filled his eyes.

His father had been gone for days now and he just wanted to see him again.

Aeker picked the boy up in a comforting hug, placing their shopping down on the desk before moving to sit on the edge of the bed.

He rocked Darragh gently in his lap, his hand stroking over his head and back as he hugged the boy tightly.

"I know darling, I know. I promise he is coming back, he is just running a little late."

Aeker peppered the boy's cheek with small kisses as he tried to sooth him.

"Don't cry sweety, he will be back soon."

"I miss him," the boy sobbed quietly, eyes screwing shut as the tears finally rolled down his cheeks.

"I want athair."

Darragh clung tightly to Aeker, burying his face into the Vampire's chest and breathing in his familiar, comforting scent.

The phone in Aeker's pocket buzzed. A text.

Ferries down from mainland into Sicily. Real bad storms. I'll be home as soon as I can tomorrow.

"I miss him too."

Aeker muttered softly, pressing a kiss to the top of Darragh's head as the boy cried.

His hand reached into his pocket as soon as his phone buzzed, lifting it up with a soft sigh.

This was just what he needed, Darragh was going to be devastated.

"Darragh, daddy just sent me a message."

He muttered, lifting the phone up for the boy to see.

"There is a storm on the mainland and they aren't running the ferries.
He wont be able to make it home until tomorrow. I'm so sorry darling."

He didn't want the boy to be more upset but lying to him wasn't an option.

"Do you want to try to call him? We might not be able to get through but we can try. If you like."

Darragh didn't respond verbally to the news that Aodh wasn't going to be home until tomorrow.

But his body language said it all.

He curled up into a little ball in the Vampire's lap and buried his face in the man's chest.

His body shook with little hiccups and sobs.

"Uh-huh," he murmured with a wet sniffle, nodding against Aeker's chest. He wanted to be able to talk to Aodh at the very least.

The Vampire's reaction was immediate, he cuddled the boy closer, nestling him in against his chest and holding him protectively.

He hated seeing Darragh this upset, these weren't crocodile tears, they were real, the boy was heart broken that his father hadn't been home by the time they got back.

"Okay, we will try to call him."

Aeker quickly flicked through his contacts on his phone and dialed Aodh's number, putting the phone onto loudspeaker so they could both talk to him.

The little boy waited with bated breath to see if the call went through.

Aodh himself was sat in a little cafe, leant against the window, staring out at the miserable weather with a scowl on his face. He hated when the weather held him up like this. Right now he had hoped to be curled up with Aeker, Darragh and Maccon just enjoying the evening.

A delay then an outright cancel. Aodh could have killed something.

His eyes flickered down to the table when his phone rang out with the familiar ringtone of his fiancé.

He smiled as he lifted it to his ear. "Hey there, Aeker."

"Evening love, we have a little man here who desperately misses his daddy and would like to talk."

Aeker replied with a small smile as he looked down at Darragh, pleased that they had managed to make it through to him.

The Vampire laid back in the bed, pulling the boy with him until they were curled up comfortably.

"Is the signal there good enough to video call? I think pup wants to see you."