"-live here? So I'll have a brother now?" Anthony asked, following behind Antonio, who was carrying shopping bags in his hands.
"Am I not your brother?" Antonio feigned hurt.
"You're my dada," Anthony said confidently. To him, Antonio was less of a brother and more like his father.
"That I am," Antonio confirmed, walking into the living room.
He raised an eyebrow at the sight, and Raghav rolled his eyes, his hand occasionally caressing Vishal's back.
"Uncle R," Anthony smiled, plopping onto the couch beside him as his eyes gazed at the new child in Raghav's arms.
"How was your day, Anthony?" Raghav asked, placing his phone on the small table beside him.
"I had a lot of fun. You know we had half a day, then Dada came to pick me up and took me to McDonald's. Then we went shopping in the big mall, and we bought clothes for Ishu. Oh, and we also brought ice cream and-"
"Breathe, baby," Antonio said, cutting through Anthony's blabbering.
"I am breathing, dada," Anthony huffed, though he did take a deep breath in.
"I can see that," Antonio muttered, setting the shopping bags on the couch.
"That seems like you had a lot of fun, hm?" Raghav asked when Anthony looked up at him with a sparkle in his eyes.
"Yeah. It was so much fun. Dada said he'll take me to the arcade next time. We can take Ishu, too." Anthony said, smiling at his own idea.
Raghav raised an eyebrow, "Ishu?"
"Vishal's nickname is Ishu, do you like it?" Anthony asked.
"Yes. It's a good nickname." Raghav didn't have the heart to say no to the child. How should he tell him that Vishal would leave within a few days?
"He's so cute," Anthony cooed, poking his finger in Vishal's cheek, who scrunched his nose, but went back to sleep after snuggling closer to Raghav.
Antonio shook his head, "Let him sleep, baby. Why don't you go and freshen up?"
"I don't want to," Anthony murmured.
"Anthony," Antonio warned. "Freshen up. Then you can come back downstairs."
Anthony shifted, hiding his face in Antonio's bicep, "You always shout at me,"
"When did I do that?" Antonio asked, not fazed by the false accusation.
"Just now," Anthony grumbled, peeking at Raghav, "Isn't it Uncle R?"
"No, he did not, Anthony," Raghav said.
Anthony huffed, "You're meant to be in my team,"
"No. No one teams up with a child who isn't telling the truth," Antonio commented.
Anthony grumbled, "Dadaaaaa,"
Antonio sighed as he stood up, "Yes, Anthony."
Anthony raised his arms and Antonio obliged, picking him up, and the child didn't waste a second before wrapping his arms around Antonio's neck, "I love you, Dada."
Antonio smiled as he headed upstairs towards their room, "Dada loves his baby too,"
On the other hand, Vishal wiggled on Raghav's lap, opening his eyes to come face to face with a well-built chest. He glanced up startled when he heard Raghav, "Seems like you're up, hmm?"
Vishal bobbed his head, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes as his brain started to activate slowly.
"Let's apply your medicine then," Raghav said, setting Vishal on the couch and fetching the medication from the first-aid box.

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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...