The Lost Bunny Boy (Twilight)

Play time with Esme [6]

"Does Bernie need a bath too?" Silas asked.
He was sat in the half filled bath tub with Esme sat next to the bath watching over him. Bernie was safely sat up on the sink top watching over the pair of them, just as Silas wanted.

"He is a bit muddy so he may need a wash too?" Silas said continuing on his thought, he knew that Bernie looked muddy and from what Esme told him if you're muddy you need a bath. Thus him being here sat in a warm bath getting cleaned.

"It might be best if he gets washed tonight" Esme explained to Silas whilst lathering his hair and ears in shampoo. Silas enjoying the soft touch of Esmes hands. Silas was very happy to be spending his day with Esme, it was much better than being alone in a cave. He was glad that he had found Esme because he was happy now, and she seemed happy to be with him.

"Tonight? Why not now with me?" Silas asked, 'why cant he get in the tub with me'. It was a genuine question that he didn't understand. 'It would be fun to have a bath with Bernie, we could play all the time long' Silas thought staring at his bear shaped best friend.

"Because Bernie cant go in bathtubs, bears dont like them" Esme said not knowing how the stuffed animal would stand in water, and the fact that it could get Silas all muddy again.
"So where does he wash?" Silas asked, with Esme scrambling in her brain trying to think of something to tell the small boy in front of her, all whilst she continuously lathered shampoo in Silas' blonde hair. Silas smiling at the feeling.

"Oh he has to get washed in a very special way" she started saying, all whilst trying to figure out if the bear would be best washed in the washing machine or by hand, later on when Silas went to sleep.
"Oh, can I watch?" Silas asked innocently, him wanting to know how Bernie managed to get clean.
"No sweetheart,it's a very special procedure that bears have to go through and we aren't allowed to watch or it wont work" Esme spoke, this all coming from the top of her head. This was the closest she had come with a child to spend time with, and she didn't want to destroy the child like wonder he had with his bear.

"It wont work?" Silas asked disheartened, quite upset that he couldn't watch his best friend magically get washed. However he was also growing loads of ideas of what this magic way of cleaning Bernie would be.

"No, it uses special bear magic and little boys like you aren't allowed to see"

"Woah, so he will get nice and clean?" This seemed to be sparking such wonder to be seen in Silas' eyes. The thing that made Esmes smile even brighter. Silas was filled with imagination and excitement all being rounded in childlike wonder, this being something that Esme would never want to take away from him.
"All clean, just like you. Can you close your eyes for me?" Esme asked Silas as she scooped some water up in her hands. Silas shut his eyes as Esme poured the water on top of his head to rinse the shampoo out.

"Can we play later?" Silas asked wanting to spend all of his time with Esme. He really liked Esme if you couldn't guess, Esme was starting to become his and Bernie's other
Best friend this making Silas very happy.

"Of course we can what would you like to play?" Esme asked opening the conditioner and starting to massage it into silas' hair, Silas moving his head in accordance whilst thinking. "Ummm" he hummed out.

"We've got snakes and ladders?" Esme offered. They for obvious reasons didn't have toys fit for a child at the house and this was probably the best they could do with his age.

"What's snakes and ladders?" Silas asked confused. Esme almost slapping herself, she should have known that Silas would have no clue on what the game is. It isn't a complicated game to play so she's hoping that it would be quick for him to understand the concept.

"It's a board game that we can play, we roll a dice and then we move how many spaces as the dice says" Esme explained as simply as possible.

"Do you like it?" Silas asked. If he was going to make best friends with Esme he had to like what she liked.

"Yes I like it"

"Then we can play it after"Silas said happily wanting to play a snakes and a ladders with Esme.

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.
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"Six" Silas said smiling at the high roll. His large ears flopping around in excitement. The trio of Silas ,Bernie and Esme were sat in the living room on the floor with the board game sat in front of them. Esme was just slightly ahead of Silas, this being caused by a very unlucky roll from Silas causing him to hit a snake and to fall back down the game board.

"Catching up to me aren't you" Esme said picking up the dice and taking her turn.

"Yeah, I'm going to beat you" Silas spoke excitedly, pulling Bernie in his arms and then proceeding to whisper the same thing in his ear, "I'm going to win Bernie"
Esmes smile brightening at Silas' cuteness.
"Is Bernie having fun?" Esme asked Silas in a very child friendly tone.

"Yes he is" Silas said stuffing his face into the back of Bernie's smiling brightly, very happy that Esme is becoming his and Bernie's friend.

"Two" Esme said after rolling her play, this low roll allowing a better chance of Silas winning. However being real Esme was never going to let Silas not win, her possibly having to distract Silas enough just to get that unlucky roll and have to slither down the board on one of the snakes.

"Esme are we friends?" Silas asked feeling brave.

"Of course we are" Esme spoke petting Silas' still slightly dam hair and ears. Esme didn't want to use a hairdryer on his head as she didn't know how his ears would reacts to the heat.

"Good, me and Bernie really like you" Silas spoke sweetly, his cheeks going slightly red from embarrassment. He didn't want to leave esme, she cared and wanted to play with him, and cooked him food.

"And we will be best friends for a long while"

"So I'm staying here?" Silas asked hopefully.

"Yes you are"

With this Silas almost instantly got up and there himself straight at Esme bringing her into a hug. Silas feeling so happy and so loved being with her, so much so he had to vocalise it, "I love you". And he truly did, he trusted and loved her even with the minimal time they have together.
Esme's eyes widening at the small boys confession, before almost instantly saying it straight back to him, "I love you too sweetheart". Tears were starting to form in Esmes eyes, she knew she loved the little boy he fit so perfectly with her and her heart had already made space for him when she first laid eyes on him.
"Bernie loves you too" Silas was quick to say also wanting to include him, causing esme to laugh out loud, "I love Bernie too".

12th November 2023
1260 words

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