Work Text:
“Can I keep you?”
Caesar squinted past the sunlight that hit his eyes through the gaps in the canopy of leaves and considered the question. He was six, which meant he was a big kid, and Joseph was four. They had known each other for two years and in that time Caesar had come to understand that sometimes Joseph asked questions that didn’t always make the most amount of sense. Even to a six year old.
Still, it must have been a serious question. Joseph had hugged his blanket to his chest, and propped his chin on the bunch that had been squished up by is arms.
“Did you hear me?” Joseph bobbed his head into Caesar’s line of sight, his dark brows wrinkled together. “Caesar did you hear me?”
“I heard you,” he reassured him. “I’m thinking.”
“Think faster.”
“Dummy, I can’t.”
Joseph puffed his ruddy cheeks out.
Sitting up, Caesar pressed his hands against Joseph’s face. “Don’t do that, it’s gross.”
“But you need to answer!” Joseph whined, jerking his head back. “Your hands are icky!”
Little kids were such a hassle. Letting go, Caesar dragged his palms against the grass. His hands were sweaty, was probably what Joseph had meant, but like he’d thought before, Joseph was too little, and some words were too big for his mouth. “There,” he announced, holding his hands up as Joseph continued to make fake gagging noises, “They’re not anymore. See?”
Joseph grabbed one of the Caesar’s hands, pulling it close to his face for inspection.
It must have passed, because he let go, and flopped down on the grass.
“You’re too warm,” Caesar grumbled, though he kept a hand curled in the blanket still clutched in Joseph’s arms. His only answer came in the form of a rock hard head butting into the crook of his shoulder.
They settled down. Somewhere overhead was the soft drone of a plane passing by.
“Are you gonna answer?” Joseph asked, his words thick and slurred together, half-way to sleep.
Wriggling his arm free, Caesar curled a hand into the back of the other boy’s hair. He didn’t get it. He really didn’t, but he was the big kid here, and he had to keep Joseph happy. “Ask me again,” he murmured at last.
“Can I keep you?”
“Yeah,” Caesar closed his eyes, the dappled sunshine warming his face. “That sounds okay.”