aterat | [Closed] Building A Home Together

Ignis had been up half the night trying to design Mono's room. The boy definitely added a new and welcome dynamic to their home in a short amount of time. Ebony practically played lost duck and followed the boy everywhere around the house now which was adorable in its own way.

True to his word to his husband, the advisor had two 'rules' which mainly boiled down to setting a bedtime and keeping his bedroom tidy. The other were requests. One was that he could read stories to Mono, and switch off with Nida. The next two revolved around dinner which dealt with helping to set the table, and helping with meal prep that didn't involve knives or anything that might hurt him. The other request involved grocery shopping and input on meals. And the last that had been put down on the paper was a request to go shopping with him for his room to make it more personalized.

Of course he wanted to eventually have the boy ride around on the chocobo and maybe learn the upkeep of the bird and perhaps some gardening. Then there was tending the garden, sitting there at night to look up at the stars like he did with Noctis when they were little. But all of that could be accomplished with time. And that meant Ignis was looking forward to spoiling Mono during the winter celebrations (even if he would deny it) and as he sat there at the kitchen table, and took a sip of coffee, he realized he didn't even know when the boy's birthday was.

Since Mono had moved in, Ignis made it a point to get up at different hours of the night to look in on the boy and make sure he was okay. Mentally he pictured books to read to the boy before bedtime. But that was up to Mono since it would be his room.

Thinking he heard a noise, he looked up to see Nida emerging from his much needed rest and he smiled. "I can get your tea ready." Then he turned to look at Mono who seemed a little sleepy as well. "Are you hungry?"

Edited 2022-06-09 03:15 (UTC)

Mono was, indeed, still rather sleepy by the looks of it. Being in a new place was going to take some getting used to, and so was living with people. He definitely wasn’t going to understand the concept of a bedtime when it was brought up. At this point, though, the kid needed a little more time to wake up. He yawned rather widely, dark eyes still a bit droopy as he tilted his head up at the other two to greet them. “Morning!” He finally chirped a moment later once the yawn had subsided.

Pulling himself up onto a chair, he eye’d the kitchen counter curiously as he wondered what was for breakfast. “I’m kinda ready, but I’m also kinda hungry?” He responded with a small shrug of his shoulders. It was a weird kind of eagerness. He wasn’t really sure what to expect for planning this whole living here thing, he just hoped he fit in with how they might expect things to be, and that he got the whole room thing right…

At least he’d gotten more ideas from Nida on how he’d like it, especially if he could find a way to sleep tucked up in the rafters. It would be pretty neat, and he wanted it to be colourful… His world was too devoid of that, and living in the ‘grey’ building had felt like a weird reminder of that. He also knew he wanted a place to put the music box for if his friend ever appeared.

But other than that? The child needed a little nudging and encouragement to really explore the ideas of what kind of stuff he wanted or how he wanted it to look.

He could never really guess that Ignis and Nida might be thinking of so many possibilities with him around. Even the fact that Ebony seemed to like following him around was an unexpected surprise. That was a new and nice experience in this world since animals got pretty agitated when he was around in his world, for reasons unknown to the boy. So not being seen as a ‘threat’ or something? That was pretty exciting.

The two men were going to have fun getting a birthday out of Mono, though. The boy didn’t know when he was born, after all. It’s not like he had time to keep track of that stuff in his world. Even telling people he was ten (well, eleven now if he considered he’d been here for over a year) was just the boy’s best guess.

Nida of course went right for Ignis, wrapping the man in a hug from behind and kissing his neck. And once that moment of affection was done he turned to see Mono and offered the kid a good morning fist bump.

Only once he'd done that did he head for the fridge, on top of which Julia watched all that was going on. She cooed at him as he raised his hand for her to sniff.

"I need to mince some fish for her. Anyone fed Ebony and the birds yet? Or willing to help me?"

Mono's sleepy face was adorable. "Did you sleep well?" Of course this was Ignis's way of showing he cared, by 'mothering' them or looking after them. He was taking things easy naturally, trying to get used to a smaller person in the house and letting him get used to the rhythm of how things went here. It could change too if needed. "If you're hungry, I can certainly make you some breakfast."

But then his husband came into the room and Ignis immediately lifted his arms and held onto those loving arms for a moment before Nida left to go see Mono. The fistbump wasn't missed and he laughed inwardly. One day hopefully they'd work up to a hug.

Both of them needed affection as far as the advisor was concerned.

The cats had eaten, Ignis fed them in the morning because they wouldn't leave him alone. As soon as they saw him they started chattering at him until they began to eat. But he wasn't going to begrudge them more food. And he got up to start breakfast, so that hopefully Mono would chime in about feeding the chocobos.

Mono had noticed Ignis’s habit of asking things like that, it was still kind of weird… But he nodded because yes always seemed like the right answer, “Yeah, I think so!” He nodded quickly, accepting the fist bump from Nida with some delight. It was a neat gesture, easy and definitely kinda cook, in his opinion. He hoped he could teach it to Six someday. “What kinda food are you gonna make for breakfast?” He added with a curious tilt of his head, definitely intrigued by the prospect of food before they got the whole planning thing.

Because Ignis’s cooking was definitely the best, and it was still a novelty to be able to enjoy it more often than even before!

But the question from Nida gets a tilt of his head. Maybe he could help Nida out with that while Ignis cooked? “I can help if you want! I dunno what they eat, but you can show me, right?” He responded with a curious tone, since he was still a little unsure about how he could help around here. It felt only right to do stuff to help around here if they were going to let him stay with them.

Ignis should really tell him that he's spoiling Julia. Sure Nida would do it again anyway because, well, a peacock cat had to be spoiled or they would leave their keeper. They wanted to be treated like little queens and kings, and Nida wasn't going to drive his little lovely away.

"Whatever he makes, it's going to be filling and good for us," Nida observed with a smile. "And there'll be plenty of it, won't there, Iggy? We've got a big day and that needs big energy. So Mono and I will stay out of your hair by having him help make sure i'm not going to get eaten."

Then he realizes the observation and joke isn't going to mean as much to the kid and winces.

"Not that they eat people. I just don't get on with Ignis's bird much. Hibiscus has gotten used to me, though."

"I was thinking of doing a simple breakfast of eggs, sausage and toast, unless that isn't acceptable." Ignis smiled at Mono and his enthusiasm. The boy was adorable and a very welcome addition to the home even if he might not think so.

He turned and nodded at his husband because if there something Ignis liked to do, it was spoil his loved ones whenever he could manage it. His heart always privately ached on the days they couldn't get together like this, so he tried to make the times that they could do this count more.

The advisor shook his head at his husband as he grabbed a few eggs to get started. "He won't bite you, but mayhaps in time we might think about getting one for Mono to ride if he wishes."

As if this ‘simple breakfast’ Ignis described wouldn’t be acceptable, Mono was not a particularly fussy eater. If one put something in front of him, even greens, he would eat them happily. “That sounds really good! Right, Nida?” He asked, tilting his head at the man with a more eager tone in his quiet voice, starting to get up from where he’d sat down to go help Nida with the birds.

That said, one did have to be careful what they said around him. Mono could very easily believe in birds eating people considering the state of his world and the things he’d seen there. He even looked a little alarmed until they both explained that the bird would neither eat nor bite Nida. “Oh, okay… As long as they don’t eat people, then I can still warn you if it looks like they might get mean.” He added, knowing full well that birds could be quite mean as well compared to other creatures. He’d had his cover blown on more than one occasion by the ones in his world.

He paused his steps, though, at the suggestion. “Really? Even though they get so big?” And what if they decided they could tolerate him being around, but not on their backs? There was a lot to think about there, on top of being responsible for something other than himself when he was out and about.

"Oh my, really simple today. Well, we've got that fresh bread I brought home from the bakery. That would make good toast. And there's some really great peach preserves that I brought home too that we can try," Nida said. He doesn't seem disappointed, but to him, that really is simpler. "Oh, Mono, I should let you know about a house rule. No strawberries. I'm deathly allergic. Sorry."

SO if he likes strawberries, they can't come home.

"Even though they get big. That doesn't stop them from carrying people. They can be trained well. I mean, I'm not great at training them," Nida admitted, before gesturing for Mono to follow him outside.

"Oh, darling, the preserves, I put them in the fridge already. Would you be willing to take them out and let it warm up a bit for spreading? Thanks."

Ignis smiled at the enthusiasm that he was hearing. It was rather refreshing to hear that tone although he knew Nida wouldn't ever turn down one of his breakfasts either. So he began his preparation and smiled as Mono got up to help his husband, even going so far as to say that he would see if the bird was going to turn mean.

The advisor's expression to his husband was one silently suggesting that he might've tapped that nice tush gently with the flat side of a frying pan. However, Mono was here and that wasn't the sort of banter that would ever be on display for the boy to see. "Fresh bread and Peach preserves sound wonderful." That statement was accompanied with a nod.

He had to laugh a bit at Mono's hesitation though. "That isn't a decision you need to worry about now if you don't wish too. But like chocobos, you too will grow in time, and it's completely your call. But it's certainly something to think about, you having your own bird and you can pick it out yourself."

With that, he turned back to getting breakfast ready, but the preserves came out first to warm up. And Ignis was going to heat the peach preserves over the stove a little bit to help move things along.

No strawberries? Mono’s expression was a little perplexed. “Allergic?” Not that the boy was going to put up a fuss, and that much was clear as he shrugged and continued. “That’s okay. I only ever had them a couple times since I got here. I kinda like stuff with apples better, anyway.” So the rule wasn’t going to be a hard one to follow, even if he didn’t know much about it. As long as he could still have apple turnovers like the ones Ignis bought him at the market that time, Mono would be quite happy without strawberries.

He hadn’t had peach preserves yet, so that would be an interesting thing to try… And he’d probably like it, too.

“I guess that’s true…” He added in agreement to both Nida’s comment and Ignis’s about chocobos. “I wouldn’t mind learning, at least if they don’t mind me riding on their backs. I got to be around a few since I got here, but not the big ones.” Like Yuki’s chocobo chick Haru, really. The rest he watched and gave a respectful distance to, given ‘bigger than you’, had always equated to dangerous in his world. The boy was willing to try, though, especially if it was something they would like for him to try. They were older than him and seemed to know more… So he liked to think he could trust them with things like this.

But he hurried after Nida, not wanting to lag behind on helping out with stuff. The sooner they fed the chocobos, the sooner they could come back and have breakfast!

“Maybe Ignis can show you what his bird is like. Hibiscus hasn’t actually started with a rider on her back yet.”

And Hyne, he wasn’t even sure whether she’d throw him or not the first time he mounted. It was never easy to be sure. Not in the slightest. But there isn’t much more to talk about since he had to get the kid through feeding time. So while Ignis prepared, Nida guided Mono out, walking him through the cautious process of feeding the birds.

Cautious more because Hibiscus was very affectionate, and Nida was even more shy around Ignis’s bird. There was genuine fear there, and here was Nida, facing it every day like he always did. Once he had taught Mono where food was kept, how to change water and feed, and discussed briefly the finer points of bailing out the old straw to put down new which wasn’t needed at the moment, he brought the kid back in.

“And, after any time spent in helping the birds, we always wash our hands and arms, okay? For our health.”

He just smiled at hearing Mono think it over and as he'd said, it wasn't a major decision to make at this point. The boy could decide for himself since he was old enough to at least be considering that much. Ignis wouldn't change his life path for the world and yet he wouldn't ever want to burden someone with all that he had to do starting at age six. By Mono's age he was so engrossed in books and learning and maps and everything else it took in order to prepare for his future role as royal advisor.

But in no time he had breakfast ready and on the table in an orderly manner. Everything was cooked and the fresh bread had been turned into toast with the preserves on the side.

His eyes looked up to see his husband with the boy in tow and he couldn't help but to think of Nida as a mother chick with her baby following her. Of course he well knew the answer he'd get should he say anything so he didn't.

After the two came back, he simply nodded. "Breakfast is ready, and you should both sit down and eat before it gets cold." A fresh cup of hot tea designated Nida's seat but then he sat and waited for the other two to get started.

Mono would let them show him as they wished, and then he would make his decisions from there.

This world was a new experience for him, and he was bound to have his uncertainties, even as he was eager to try to learn from others and experience things that were ‘normal’ by the standards of everyone else. Children (what few there were in the Pale City) weren’t really educated in his world. The school was a mockery, full of shadows pretending to be children, and adults were hardly even human. They didn’t spend time reading or have the opportunity to think about futures beyond ‘survive.’

As he let Nida show him how feeding and taking care of the birds worked, it was hard to not see the difference between Nida’s interactions with Hibiscus and with Ignis’s chocobo. Not that he found it odd. He thought caution was probably smarter when big creatures were involved. There was a pretty big difference between the chicks and those that were fully grown.

Once he had a good idea of where to find everything and how to take care of the birds the way Nida and Ignis wanted, he let Nida lead him back inside to wash up for breakfast. Though he had to tilt his head curiously, “For our health? Like to not get sick?” He mostly liked being clean because it was a nice experience to not be covered in dust, grime and mud from his tumbles and running around in the Pale City. The boy had never considered it might also be healthier that way.

Still, he was happy to wash up and make sure he got his arms as well, copying Nida easily enough.

At Ignis’s word that breakfast was finished, Mono felt his stomach rumble lightly as he smelled the food waiting for them. It didn’t take much prompting for the boy to clamber up onto a chair to sit and begin. “Wow! It smells really good, Ignis. Thank you!” He chirped, eagerly eyeing the full plates of food and definitely agreeing that a hot breakfast was better than a cold one.

Mmmm, hot tea. Nida washes his hands up and happily settles in once he’s got the option.

“Yeah, Mono, for our health, to not get sick. Sometimes you can get sick from handling animals, because things that they don’t get sick from we can. It’s true if you’re playing with a strange dog or cat too. Julia and Ebony are healthy, we are careful with them, but strange animals, it’s always safer to clean your hands later. And, speaking of animals…”

Nida’s attention turned to his husband as he started to spread preserves over his toast.

“Hibiscus might need her saddle straps lengthened soon,” Nida tells Ignis, knowing the other man is better for consulting on that matter. Sure, Nida would get the stuff done with the guard, but he tended to ask for Ignis’s help keeping his own bird restrained while Nida did measurements. Hibiscus was definitely moving past half grown now, and she needed constant changes while she got used to carrying weights. “That’s not for today of course.”

It was an absolute delight to him to see Mono eager to dig into the plentiful food. Of course there was more than what was needed and that would chap a certain king's hide if he saw all of it. "There's plenty there, so do eat up." this was spoken to the boy and Ignis hid his smile as much as possible.

But he noted his husband going for his tea and silently continued to get last minute details ready as he caught Nida's gaze. The advisor nodded at his husband. "Let me know when you wish to get them adjusted and we'll get it done." Any day was fine for him and he knew his husband would definitely get him when it was needed.

Turning back to his coffee, he patiently waited while the other two tucked into their food. "So what is on the agenda for the day other than looking at Mono's room for retouches?"

True there was more gardening to be done, but he'd rather try to see what the other two had in mind first before he went planning for them.

This was all new information to Mono. “I didn’t know that at all!” He responded, digging into his scrambled eggs with a distracted little glance at the other two. He would have to make sure he was more careful in the future. Especially since there seemed to be a lot of different animals in this world, and if he found others that didn’t mind his presence he might end up playing with them… So making sure to wash up after was going to be an important task to remember when the time came, or if he continued to help to feed the chocobos.

Letting the adults talk about Hibiscus and her saddle, Mono focused on the food and reaching for some toast to try the peach preserves that Nida seemed to be enjoying. He liked sweet things, after all, and he hadn’t had this flavour before. It was pretty good, even if he knew what his favourite fruit flavours were. It was definitely a good addition to breakfast, though.

At Ignis’s question, the boy shrugged his little shoulders while he munched on the toast. “I dunno? Whatever you guys want, I guess. I don’t gotta carry messages and stuff today. I dunno how much time it takes to…” His nose crinkled a little as he tried to remember the way Ignis had phrased the question and wondered if he was going to use the word right. “Retouchin’ a room takes?”

"Like Mono said, I suppose it depends on how much work we find we need to do. And we might need to get some furniture commissioned."

He starts slowly through his own food.

"I mean, we might want to choose colors and soft things, whatever you want, Mono. That could mean shopping in the market too."

Green eyes kept a lookout as the lad helped himself to the toast and preserves. He waited to see if the other liked them as well and smiled a little when it seemed the boy was enjoying what he was eating.

"That will be up to you to decide." Might as well let him make decisions about his own room after all.

Turning to Nida, he looked at his husband and smiled. "Furniture will be more than fine." But he turned his attention back to the boy as Nida spoke to him. "And while we're out, we can always stop and have a meal or snacks. And the room needn't be decided on all in one day. You can take your time in deciding what you would like there."

“I can choose the colours and stuff too? Like any colours?” Lots of colours would be kind of exciting, a stark contrast to the world he came from. It would be a good reminder of where he was if he woke up from a nightmare or something. He’d want their input though, just to see what they thought of the colours. At the mention of soft things though… “I like the idea of finding some soft stuff too, I wanna make a cozy spot up in the rafters like you did!” The kid felt a little sad that he probably couldn’t have the weird teddy bear he’d found in his world, it had been a disappointment to leave behind even if it was impractical, and he doubted he’d ever see anything like it here.

Glancing between the other two a moment later, he added, “So I guess I need stuff to make getting up there easy, too.” He added with a small nod.

“We can get snacks too? Can we go to the place where they got the little apple baked things you got that time?” Mono asked hopefully. He liked the idea of not rushing, though. He wasn’t sure if you could get this wrong… But it was the first time he’d had a bedroom to decorate, especially since he’d never really gotten settled in at the apartment.

"I don't see a reason why we can't paint it, or decorate with colors," Nida said, looking to Ignis with a raised eyebrow. The other man had more of a sense of decor and style than he did, so if there was any objections, it would be on that front.

Though the soft stuff makes him smile and he immediately puts up his hands defensively before Ignis has a chance to be upset for the high place thing.

"If we do it, I'm going to insist on him having a safety line if he's ever up high. He's learning quickly, but safetly matters, I know," he promised. "And a ladder for getting up there, because he's still too small to get up on his own the way I do. Oh, and of course snacks."

There was always going to be snacks.

"Yes, whatever colours you may like." Ignis replied to Mono with a nod. He wasn't going to hurry this project either, as the boy might think of things to add as they went along. And he nodded to the soft things, but then shot his husband a questioning look when he heard about rafters. Safety crossed his mind first of course, but how the boy had heard of hanging around there had to be Nida's doing.

More silent questions were posed to the other man as Mono went on but he smiled at the boy regarding the snacks question. "Of course we can find the baked apple treats, as I so happen to deal with that same baker on a regular basis."

Nida's chiming in about the safety line was going to be a conversation that they were going to have without Mono being present. For now, Ignis simply went along with it. "Well if there is indeed shopping to be done, we can go sometime after breakfast if there are no other plans."

“Okay! I like the idea of having colours and stuff.” He responded with a brighter tone, nice bright colours (aside from red) and some soft stuff would be kind of perfect, the child decided. That and, of course, the ability to sleep up in the rafters if he felt like it. It was just a particular sense of security that came of being out of most people’s reach, and the boy thought he might sleep better that way, given how his instincts still messed with him sometimes. In his world, high places were often the safest places to be (aside from a few… unsettling exceptions) if you were trying to catch a break in the Pale City and avoid its residents.

He wasn’t quite sure why Ignis might not like the idea of him being up high, but he agreed with Nida rather innocently since his teacher had been very serious about taking safety precautions. “Yeah, safety stuff’s important until I’m better at things!” He added, before digging back into his scrambled eggs with energy, unaware of the silent conversation going on between the two adults.

Mono practically beamed at the idea of getting the apple turnovers again. “That’s great! I can go whenever you guys wanna.” He paused… “After I finish eating, this is really good.” Because the boy was always going to clean his plate. You did not waste edible food, in his experience.

Protecting his beloved student was absolutely something Nida intended to do. And safety mattered.

"Oh, you're definitely not sleeping up there without a safety line to tie you there. I don't even nap up in those places without that. Got hurt once when I was a kid, so I definitely intend to see you safe."

And there was a tone that said he wouldn't take any argument there.

"Color, a comfortable place to start though. And big cushions. There is nothing quite like collapsing into something super squishy and colorful. But yeah, eat up first. I'll start cleaning."

"The choices will be yours." Ignis smiled at Mono.

Ignis listened and didn't comment. But he did manage to hide his smile when he distinctly heard that parental tone in Nida's voice. However, he knew better than to say anything regarding it, so he didn't.

"Big cushions would be a good idea." the advisor agreed because if the boy fell, well he didn't want to think about it. So he just smiled thinly and looked at Mono who had quite a hearty appetite.

"No hurry on eating. Take your time, as there's no rush to go out the door." And eating too fast would produce a stomach ache which was unnecessary.

Mono nodded. “Yeah, I guess that kinda makes sense.” He responded, since Nida was probably more of an expert on safety than he was. All the child knew was he was used to catching sleep where he felt safe, and he’d never quite gotten used to the whole normal bed thing in the gray building. So there were some things he still needed to learn, and the idea of not falling while asleep was a welcome idea.

That the choice would be his was nice, but he still wanted to get their opinions on things as they figured stuff out. The child valued their opinions, especially given how little experience he had by comparison to most people. “And I like super squishy stuff. Me and six found these really big squishy toys once. They were kinda comfy to sit on, even if we couldn’t bring them with us.”

“Even though we got a lot of stuff to do?” Still, the boy made a noticeable attempt at slowing down. It was hard for him to not be kind of excited to go out after the meal was over, though. Despite the attempt, there was still a certain eagerness. Between how good it was and the rest of their plans, it was hard not to! “

Absolutely more of an expert. The number of times he's had to sleep on a mission up in a tree, tied to the branch... Well, it wasn't a low number. At all. So definitely an expert.

"You mean like a giant stuffed animal? I admit, I never had one. But if you want one, I don't see a reason to refuse it."

With the idea in head he looked to Ignis.

"Can I have a stuffed animal? I never had one as a kid."

Ignis really hoped to meet this Six that Mono spoke so highly of. It would be heartwarming and she would be welcome to live with them too, if she ever showed. But right now the focus was on Mono and his room.

"I'm sure that we can find these super squishy things as you refer to them as. That will require some shopping, but they'll be found I'm certain." Even if he had to go to the merchant for a specialty purchase, that was exactly what Ignis would do.

He had to smile at the lad's enthusiasm which only put a smile on his face. "There's plenty of time for us to get there."

Nida's gaze caught his attention and he nodded in agreement as he looked back at the boy. But then he looked at his husband in wonder as he admitted he never had a stuffed animal. It didn't hold in his head long as he recalled his husband's past and it made him sad although he didn't show it. It didn't stop him from reaching out to touch the man's hand. "If you find more than one that suits you, we'll simply have to bring them all home along with Mono's choices."

It was weird, really, considering if he wanted one instead of if he needed it. Back in the Pale City, a giant ‘stuffed animal’, as Nida had described it, would have been a dangerous hindrance. Even if it had been really soft, and cozy, and easy to just fall face first into comfortably. “Really? I could get one here?” Yeah, maybe there was more hope in the kid’s voice at that. It was a genuinely childish desire, perhaps, but he really did wish he had gotten to take the bear with him back in his world. It helped that Nida continued to chime in and as himself. Made it seem less silly to the boy. “Then maybe we can both get one! They’re really comfy and funny looking.”

The delighted, clumsy little smile that slipped onto the child’s face as Ignis agreed that they could get some when they went shopping was obvious and really quite bright compared to his usual features. Less subdued and more genuinely happy. “I dunno what stores might have them, but I hope we can find some.” Mono took another few bites of eggs, still a bit fast to finish eating but definitely trying to not look like he was rushing.

What kid didn’t rush through the odd meal at the prospect of going out to do fun and exciting things, though?

Stuffed animal win! Nida would be happy with that. As much for himself as for Mono. He was going to have so much fun with all of this.

"The Market will have something. And if not, well, there is Raimon. I've got a wealth of coins for him."

And he'd happily give some for the sake of Mono. What could he say, he cared for his student.

Ignis nodded to Mono's question, secretly delighted that the lad sounded excited for the shopping trip. But he wanted to make sure the boy didn't rush and that he was as full of food as he could be. Shopping on an empty stomach was a recipeh for disaster and he knew it only too well.

He'd purchased so much stuff at times when he was hungry and had rushed out the door in order to get shopping done.

At hearing Nida pipe up about a wealth of coins, Ignis returned the sentiment. "As have I if needed." Of course he had regular coins too, and that was always a good thing. Letting go of the other's hand he sat back in his chair and smiled at his mate. "I am looking rather forward to seeing what sort of stuffed animal you're going to buy."

“I don’t think I ever went to Raimon’s before?” Mono commented thoughtfully, knowing he had some coins too. He just… Never really thought of what to do with them. He arrived with all his important hats thanks to the many pockets of his coat, but other than the music box that he’d gotten a while back with Mr. Rhy? It was hard to think of stuff… But the soft things and stuffed animals had been probably the best idea anyone had given him, so he was pretty excited to see what they could find.

Plus, as Ignis said, it would be neat to see what kind of stuffed animals there were, and what Nida might pick out, too. He was never sure what stuff other people thought was nice.

Kicking his legs back and forth off the edge of the seat, he worked on finishing his breakfast until he had his fill. It was weird to think he could eat now until he felt full, instead of making do with whatever scraps he found and trying to stretch them out. This world really was awesome. Slipping off the edge of the chair once he finished, he looked up at the other two. “Can I help with any stuff before we go out?” Mono was, after all, still trying to be careful and figure out what living with people meant. Trying to make sure he knew what was expected and what kinds of stuff he could help with, like feeding the animals.

Yeah, Nida was definitely amused at the idea that his husband wanted to see what stuffed animal he'd get. Can't get a dog, he doesn't want a dog. And a cat might make Ebony and Julia feel bad. So it'd have to be something else.

"We should clean some dishes," Nida says, rising to gather them. "You can help with that if you want."

Ignis poured himself another cup of coffee and had started the clean up at least, gathering what he could. Breakfast had been good and he wanted to see if he could find those apple tarts again that Mono liked so much.

However he'd keep those a secret and put them on the table if he could indeed locate them. And he was about to say something in response to Mono's question when his husband piped up first.

So he just smiled at the two of them and began to get the dish water ready. "Bringing your own plate to the sink is always a good start Mono."

Mono nodded quickly to both of them as they suggested he could help with the dishes, grabbing his own plate at Ignis’s suggestion. “Yeah? I can do that! I think I’d be good at dishes if I’m careful with them.” He said in a hopeful tone, moving over to the sink and stretching slightly to put them on the counter next to the sink and going back for more to ‘help’ with cleaning off the table so the dishes would be where they needed to be to be washed!

The boy figured he couldn’t do any worse than the porcelain bullies did. They just smashed plates instead of washing them. So… He could definitely do better than that.

As excited as Mono was to get through the ‘cleaning’ and get to the fun part of their day? He was quite careful, making sure they were pushed in enough on the counter so they wouldn’t fall off the edge or anything as he left them and went back for the others.

That's definitely helpful. Nida was happy to take the dishes from there to start washing them.

"Once you're done with that, get dressed to go out, and it will be more comfortable to be out for the day. Oh, and if you could figure out where I put my coat."

Which was hanging off the back of a chair on the second floor.

"Iggy, do we have a shopping list?"

Ignis stayed out of Mono's way as he seemed determined to help. He smiled as the boy passed him and Nida was taking the dishes to wash. And he didn't mention the parental tone that his husband had suddenly acquired while speaking to Mono to go get changed.

"Thank you for your help Mono." the advisor smiled approvingly. And there was no way he was going to attempt to counter Nida's orders.

But he turned towards the kitchen table where his pen and notebook that Llewellyn had gifted him with. Lifting the book, he smiled. "I am certainly prepared with one, even with the wonderful addition of stuffed animals on it."

Once Mono was finished with transferring dishes from the table to the counter next to the sink, he nodded quickly. “Okay! I’ll do that, and when I find your coat I’ll bring it back!” He added, standing back from the counter and then glancing at the table to make sure he hadn’t missed stuff… Then, satisfied, he turned to hurry off to his room to get changed to go. He did, of course, stop long enough to respond to Ignis when the man thanked him for his help. Being thanked was always nice, after all, and he’d learned that responding was polite. “You’re welcome. Thanks for the food!” He added, then he was finally off like a shot.

The kid returned shortly after that, dressed for the day in a comfortable shirt and pants. His newsboy cap sat snug on his head with his old trench coat pulled on. It was just more comfortable at the end of the day. One might liken his stubbornness over it being rather like a security blanket, if the boy knew what that was. Trotting into the kitchen, he looked around to see if the other two were there already or if they had moved to another room, Nida’s jacket clutched in one hand to give to the man as promised. “I’m ready! Got your jacket too. It was upstairs.”

With Mono gone for the moment, Nida dried his hands and moved to pull Ignis close for a kiss good morning. Hello there beautiful. He hums briefly into the kiss before pulling back and leaving Ignis to answer. There it was, easier that way.

"Glad to hear you have. So organized, love."

And that was just about in time for Mono to return. He had to behave now. He grinned at Mono, and yes, his tone was vaguely parental but there was no telling him.

"Thanks Mono. Alright, we all ready to go? Time for an adventure."

Green eyes watched the boy go and he smiled after him. But then Nida had his attention and the advisor definitely drank in that kiss which was wonderfully unexpected and totally welcome. "Hello to you too darling."

But then Nida made his smart ass comment and he gave one back. "Naturally I'm organized." before stealing another kiss as he heard the pattering of Mono's shoes on the kitchen floor.

So he moved away from his husband and got a few things ready as he kept his list in his hands. "Let's go shopping, shall we?"

“You’re welcome.” He responded once Nida had his coat. The kid glancing between the two to of them with an energy that suggested he was ready to go, and wondering if they were.

Then both seemed to suggest they were ready, though, saving him the question. So, adjusting the hat on his head, Mono nodded quickly. “Yeah! I’m ready to go on this shopping adventure thing!” He agreed, heading for the door as well. Mono at least didn’t run ahead of them as he might have usually, containing some of his energy to instead keep near enough to talk if they had questions of suggestions. Plus, they probably knew which places in the market they needed to go better than he would.

Nothing quite so sweet as stolen kisses. Except perhaps all the other kinds.

"Come on," Nida said, happily moving to wrap an arm around Ignis's waist so they can walk out. But only after he's got his light coat on. "Let's go on our adventure. You know the way to the markets, Mono. You can lead."

[Closed] Building A Home Together

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

lol a recipeh

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject