Parenting the Right Way

The Birthday Boy

The next day, the plans changed so Zoro would come to Luffy's house, and he tidied up all his toys and fluffed the pillows. Katakuri thought it was amusing. There wasn't much to clean up, so straightening the coasters was kind of the only thing he could do. When Zoro got there, Luffy heard the car and hurried to the door before there was a knocking on it.

The door opened, and the four year old and his friend a few months older reunited, both beaming and hugging. "I'm free! Shishishi," Luffy giggled. "Come see my toys!" he called. Zoro kicked his boots off and hurried after him, neither saying a thing to Katakuri, which he wasn't bothered about. He went into the study, and left the two boys to their own devices.

"You live in a nice place," Zoro commented, looking around. Luffy nodded, and he said he loved his house. "My house is smaller and there's no carpet," he said. "Though my dad isn't nearly 7 feet tall, so we don't need high ceilings."

"Shishishi, papa is super big but I'm still so small. But I'm a big boy now." Zoro asked what he meant. "I did all that training, I have to be a big boy, now!"

"Oh yeah, how are you handling being out?" Luffy said he was doing well, but hadn't really been around a lot of people to see how he did in public. "My dad made a whole back yard area for me, fenced in and all but still able to be outside. I haven't lashed out at my family like I did before. But don't tell anyone; I'm trying to turn into a wolf even on not full moon nights."

"Wow! But why?"

"To be stronger."

"But... why?"

"What you mean?"

"Why do you wanna be strong?"

"To be the best! To be strong in the unique way I can be. I know it will hurt, but I want to get past that and be the best I can be," he explained with conviction. Luffy asked what he'd do with that strength. "I don't know yet, but I just want to be able to do it," Zoro answered.

Luffy smiled, thinking he was really cool! "I missed you. I was lonely." Zoro looked guilty for leaving him behind. "It made me sad, but it's not your fault! And we get to see each other again!" Zoro grinned and nodded. They ended up playing tag, and then Katakuri hid things from them, and they saw who had better sense of smell to find it first.

Katakuri thought Zoro was entertaining. He had a better nose than Luffy, but Luffy had much better hearing. They had a lot of fun, and Zoro ended up sleeping over, on the beanbag chair for bed in Luffy's room. Katakuri read them both a short story about vampires and werewolves. Best friends, they were, so he thought it would be a good story for them, too. It was, and they fell asleep easily.

-x-

"Ready?" Katakuri asked in the car. Luffy was nervous, but nodded. Katakuri let him out, and picked him up, holding him to his chest securely. He had the harness on that was clipped to the father's belt. The leash was very sturdy, they wouldn't have it rip ever again. Katakuri walked out of the parking lot, and into the mall.

Luffy tensed immediately, but Katakuri had a secure grip on him. They had to see how he did actually in public, in busy places with a lot of humans. He started to tremble, and Katakuri walked them right back outside. The boy's fingers were dug so hard into Katakuri that he turned his shoulder into mochi to let him grip as hard as he could.

He set him on the front of the car. "Are you okay?" he asked. Luffy nodded, and his papa asked how he felt when he went inside.

"Really thirsty. They all smelled so good..." he said in shame.

"There's no need to be ashamed. We'll just have to practice being around large groups of people. We'll get past it, don't worry. Thank you for telling me the truth, I appreciate it." Luffy nodded, and looked at his fingers. He apologized for holding his shoulder too hard. "Being mochi can be useful sometimes, can't it?"