Parents: Jonah and Eben
Corbyn: 11
Daniel: 8
Jack and Zach: 5
༆☆♥———
Eben was apart of the army, which meant he was always stationed away for months at a time. Jonah worried about his husband, he always had. Jonah hated the career path his high school sweetheart had chosen to make a living out of.
But Jonah loved Eben.
So he never voiced his true concerns.
"Papa, do you really have to go again? You basically just got here" Corbyn frowned. As he sat on his dads double bed and watched his papa, Eben, pack his luggage.
"I'll be back before you know it" Eben smiled at his eldest boy.
Corbyn tearfully nodded, as he looked at the bag his dad was packing. His army uniform was hanging on the black door. Ready for Eben to wear it once more.
"Why do you always leave?" Corbyn forced back his tears. "Why can't you stay longer?"
"It's not my decision, bean" Eben offered a lighthearted smile. "I promise, when I'm back we will do anything you want"
"I don't want anything when you come back. I want you to stay. Do you not care? Is that why you're always gone?" Corbyn questioned, as tears leaped out of his eyes.
Eben immediately stopped packing as he embraced Corbyn into a much needed hug. Jonah heard Corbyn's cries from the twins bedroom, since he was reading them to sleep.
——❥☾𖣘——
"Goodnight my babies" Jonah smiled, as he places down the book on the chair he was once situated on.
Jonah walked the couple of steps to his and his husbands room. He waited by the open door. To hear what was happening before he entered. Jonah did not want to make the situation worse by interrupting.
"I don't want anything when you come back. I want you to stay. Do you not care? Is that why you're always gone?" Jonah heard Corbyn cry.
The dads heart broke as he heard that statement. Jonah had noticed how Ebens always absence was slowly affecting the oldest boy. But he had never said anything, in fear that he would make his beautiful husband angry at him. As he didn't want to be accused of not encouraging his husbands job.
"Of course I care about you" Eben spoke. "What kind of papa would I be if I didn't?"
"P- P- Please don't l- leave" Corbyn stuttered out.
Corbyn was terrified that his papa wouldn't make it back. He had heard so many stories where army soldiers would go for 'a couple of months' but would never return.
Corbyn needed his papa.
"I have too" Eben whispered, as he rubbed gentle circles in Corbyn's back. "Anyway, you have Daniel, Jack, Zach and Daddy. Oh, dad. You're probably 'too cool' to call him daddy now" Eben laughed.
Corbyn laughed as well, as he wiped away his warm tears off of his flushed cheeks. Corbyn would miss his papa, like any normal eleven year old would.
Jonah slowly made his way into his bedroom. As he saw Corbyn trying into his hundreds short sleeved t- shirt. Heart aching sobs exited the eleven year olds mouth.
"The twins are asleep" was all that the two blondes heard.
Eben nodded, as he broke the hug with the young boy. Corbyn wiped away his warm tears away from his cheeks as he quickly walked out of the room. Eben sighed as he continued to pack, not acknowledging his husbands presents.
"He's just upset you're going again" Jonah muttered, as he wrapped his arms around Ebens torso, and rested his chin on his right shoulder.
"Well... maybe he shouldn't" Eben's sharp voice was laced with anger.
"Baby" Jonah's eyebrows knitted together. "Please don't get mad at me, I didn't do anything wrong"
Eben rolled his eyes as he folded his last grey t- shirt into his suitcase and zipped it up. Jonah's eyes were starting to fill with tears, as he didn't want his husband to leave again. It had been two months, maybe even less since Eben had returned from being away for eight months.
And now he was leaving again.
"Let's just go to sleep" Jonah muttered, as he realised himself from his husband.
"In a minute" Eben spoke.
Jonah wanted to cry. He didn't understand why his once loving husband was suddenly like this. What had he done to make him so upset?
After Eben had placed his suitcase on the floor, by his side of the bed. Jonah had already situated himself on his side, as he was reading Harry Potter to himself.
Eben went to check on all of his sons, to make sure they were all asleep. He walked into Zach and Jacks room, both five year olds were lightly snoring.
"I love you" Eben whispered, as he placed a gentle kiss on both of the boys
Eben gently closed the door and walked down the hall and into Corbyn and Daniels room. Daniels lamp was still on, as Daniel laid awake in his bed.
"Hey" Eben gently smiled, as he walked into his two oldest sons room.
"Hi papa" Daniel widely smiled back, as he sat up in his single bed.
"Why aren't you asleep, Angel?" The dad asked, as he gently sat on Daniels bed.
Daniel shrugged, as he wrapped his arms around his papas neck. Eben smiled lightly, as he wrapped one protective arm around the ten year old.
"Papa?" Daniel muttered, his face buried in his papas shoulder.
"Yes buddy?" Eben whispered back.
"How long will you be gone for?"
Eben sighed, as he didn't want to argue with another one of his children's. But Eben felt sudden pressure to not leave. He could hear it in Daniels voice that he was upset about his own absence in the house.
"Only a couple of months" Eben replied.
Daniels little face re- emerged from his dads shoulder. Tears threatened to fall at any moment. Ebens heart started to crack as he pulled Daniel back into a hug.
"W- why so l- long?" Daniel stuttered.
"I promise it will fly by" Eben told the young boy. "And you have Daddy, and your brothers. Let's not forget about your friends at school. You won't even know I'm gone"
"But I will" Daniel cried.
And here I will leave you.
