Zeehan whimpered, rolling to lie on his back as he blinked his eyes open to find himself in a dark room. He clutched his stomach, which was starting to ache due to the pressure of the need to go to the toilet.
Zeehan glanced to his left, where Zaain, his youngest brother, was lying on top of his papa. He pushed himself into a sitting position and gently tapped Aditya's head, "Papa,"
Zeehan whined as his papa showed no sign of moving, and his stomach was beginning to cramp, "Papa!!"
Aditya shifted, his deep voice echoing in the room, "Zeehan, are you up, baby?"
"Papa,"
Aditya swiftly yet carefully laid Zaain on the bed and climbed out of the bed, heading to his right side after switching on the lights. "Oh, what's wrong, baby? Why are there tears in my Zeehu's eyes, hmm?"
Zeehan lifted his arms, and Aditya effortlessly picked him up, softly swaying him, but Zeehan whined, shaking his head, "N-No, Papa, my tummy hurts."
Aditya kissed the top of Zeehan's head and started to rub his stomach while he headed to the toilet. Setting him down, he lowered Zeehan's pyjamas and gently sat him on the toilet.
Once Zeehan was done, Aditya fixed his clothes and helped him wash his hands. He kneeled down and caressed Zeehan's cheek, "Are you okay, baby? Does your tummy still hurt?"
Zeehan shook his head, giving a toothy smile to Aditya, "No papa, 'm fine."
Aditya smiled and led Zeehan back to bed, settling him under the blankets, "Go to sleep, Zeehu. It's only 5 in the morning, I'll wake you up in a bit."
"No papa, I wanna go with you," Zeehan demanded, sitting back up when he saw that Aditya was ready to head out of the room.
"Zeehan, you'll feel tired-" Aditya said sternly but he cut himself off when Zeehan slid off the bed and headed towards him, raising his arms to be picked up.
Aditya smiled fondly as he raised his second youngest son into his arms and nuzzled his face into Zeehan's cheek before kissing him, "You're a cheeky one, aren't you? Let's head to the kitchen, shall we?"
Zeehan giggled, leaning his head on Aditya's shoulder as he carried him to the kitchen and placed him on the counter. Bopping his nose, Zeehan questioned, "What would my baby like to eat for breakfast?"
"Nutella bread," Zeehan said, absently playing with the spoons that were dangling in the pot.
"Not in the morning, Zeehu. It has too much sugar, love." Aditya explained calmly as he placed a pan of milk on the hob.
"Please papa," Zeehan pouted.
"No Zeehan. Pick something else."
Zeehan crossed his arms and leaned back on the counter. "You are a meanie."
Aditya sighed, he would've happily offered Nutella bread if it weren't for Zeehan having diabetes. He closed the hob once the milk came to boil and started preparing the sandwiches. "Zeehan, papa would give you Nutella bread if your sugar levels are regular by the evening. How about that?"
"I want it now, papa," Zeehan whined, swaying his legs.
"That option wasn't available, Zeehan."
Zeehan pursued his lips, drumming his fingers on his thigh, "Papa, "
Aditya wrapped the sandwiches in foil paper and prepared a lunch box for Avyan, placing different sorts of fruits in it. Zeehan didn't have school today and Zaain didn't go to one yet as he was young. "Yes, baby."

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𝐒𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐝 ~ 𝐎𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐭𝐬
Short StoryThe One-shots revolve around the journey of a devoted single father navigating the complexities of parenthood and his deepening bond with his sons. Each story highlights the unique challenges and heartwarming moments they share, capturing the essenc...