"Me? A babysitter?"
Kwazii looked at the captain in disbelief. Barnacles just chuckled. "Kwazii, I think you're a lot better with babies than you give yourself credit for."
"But I'm a pirate!"
"Then be very careful."
Kwazii stammered out another excuse, but Barnacles ignored him, turning his attention to the little bundle in the cradle at his feet. The other Octonauts were already in the Gups, waiting for him. The bear just didn't understand why Kwazii didn't think he could babysit his own brother?
"It's simple enough, Kwazii." Barnacles assured. "Peso's a good kid. He's an easy baby. He'll be sure to tell you if he needs something."
"How am I supposed to know what it is?" Kwazii sighed, exasperated. Barnacles chuckled again. He lifted little Peso. "I think you'll know. Peso will tell you. You just have to know what to listen for." He nuzzled the penguin, who was dressed in his signature baby clothes. "I think little Peso here would be very glad to spend the day with you. You're his big brother. He looks up to you."
Kwazii sighed, looking at the infantilized penguin. Ever since discovering Peso was a Little, Kwazii had been determined not to hurt him. It was harder than the other Octonauts said. He was terrified that he would harm Peso in some way. He was a pirate, not a nursery maid!
And he didn't have a clue how he would manage without the other Octonauts there offering advice. Practice was easy enough, b8t was he ready for the test? Days upon days on end with the captain and his fellow Octonauts teaching him how to care for little Peso-kins properly. Changing lessons with Inkling, feeding lessons with Shellington. Dashi taught Kwazii how to hold Peso properly and dress him into new clothes. Barnacles taught Kwazii how Peso liked to be cuddled and what his favorite things were. Kwazii STILL didn't feel very prepared.
But there was no more time for that kind of thought. A soft, bundle of weight was deposited in his arms. Peso looked up at him innocently, one flipper in his mouth. Kwazii swallowed. this little penguin was probably his greatest weakness. He'd do anything for that adorable face. How could he say no to this helpless little thing, leave him in harm's way??
Peso was making Kwazii soft.
":I'm not sure this is a good idea, captain." Kwazii protested again. Barnacles turned around, already in the Gup. "You're the best one for the job Kwazii." He told him brightly. "Peso seems to really like you."
"Then YOU should be the one staying with him." Kwazii shifted Peso to the other arm when he started to fiddle with his chest fur. "I can't babysit!"
"You'll do fine. Peso seems to think so." The little penguin had made himself plenty comfortable in his big brother's arms, and was watching closely. Kwazii knew that Peso knew what was about to happen. And the cat knew what would happen when it did.
"Captain I-" The words caught in his throat.
"Kwazii, open the Octohatch." Barnacles ordered simply. The cat sighed and did as he was told. Why couldn't the captain see he was the wrong cat for the job? He'd have gladly stayed with Peso...if he weren't all alone.
Well, he wasn't. The Vegimals would be here too. But Kwazii doubted their babysitting skills. Otherwise, Barnacles would've brought Kwazii along.
He cringed at the inevitable sound of a baby cry. Peso watched the Launch Bay pool with big watery eyes. He hated it when his father left the ship, even if he knew he would be right back. He felt scared that he wouldn't. Like he was about to be abandoned. After all he'd been through, Kwazii couldn't blame him. He would have plenty to cry about, the soft-hearted little thing.
The problem was the Kwazii had no idea how to make him stop.
Swallowing a lump of doubt in his throat, Kwazii helplessly bounced the baby up and down. What had Barnacles done with him when he cried? A pacifier. Peso needed a pacifier.
Luckily, there was almost always one dangling from a clip around his neck. Kwazii managed to aim it into Peso's mouth. But the little penguin cried around it.
'Think, think.' Kwazii urged himself, holding Peso tight. What did the captain tell him about holding a crying baby?
'Sometimes babies cry and you just don't know the reason.' What was Kwazii supposed to do with that?
The cat sighed, and headed up to the nursery. Perhaps the familiar sights and smells of the comfy room would make Peso feel better, and they could spend the afternoon playing.
Kwazii liked the nursery too. It was a quiet, comfy-cozy place where one could just sit and be. It was especially pleasant when Peso was sitting in his crib. Sometimes, Kwazii would come sit in the rocking chair and listen to Peso in his crib, playing with his mobile, crawling, babbling. Somehow, the role of a baby came naturally to him. And beside himself, Kwazii would lift him out and cuddle him in the rocking chair. Peso loved cuddles.
CUDDLES. Of course! Why hadn't Kwazii thought of that before?
He settled into the rocking chair, and snuggled Peso in his arms, making sure the little thing could hear his heartbeat. Peso sniffled, and continued crying. Kwazii stammered. "Come on, Lil matey, tell me what's wrong! Use your words!" Peso sniffled, and looked up at him with those big baby eyes of his. Kwazii internally punched himself. Of course Peso sensed his anxiety. Being the sweet little thing he was, he wanted to help, but was currently too young to know how. He burrowed his face into Kwazii for a second, and then turned to look longingly out the window, as is he felt Kwazii's uncertainty. The cat forced himself to take deep breathes, remembering what Barnacles had told him before. Peso would tell him what was wrong.
"Okay," he held Peso closer, rocking carefully back and forth. "It's okay. You're alright. He'll be back soon." He wasn't sure how much Peso understood at this age, but he assumed it was a safe bet to try and reassure him as if he did. Wasn't talking to babies important? Yes, the professor had told him that. It helped them develop their social communication skills.
But Peso wasn't a normal baby. And right now, he looked SO CUTE, hiding his face in Kwazii's chest, clutching his arm in need of comfort, expressing his love for the cat. Kwazii sighed in relief. First crisis averted. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad.
"There now." Kwazii nuzzled his head, pretending this were another day on the Octopod and he wasn't all alone with the baby. "We wouldn't want to hide that beautiful face from the world, would we treasure?" Peso giggled a little hiccupping the last of his woes away. Kwazii held him against his shoulder. Not a lot of people knew this, but Kwazii was surprisingly emotionally vulnerable. He had a soft heart for Peso, to top that off. Only Barnacles knew of Kwazii's empathy, although Peso's was stronger. Only the captain knew of Kwazii's fragile social feelings.
Sighing again, Kwazii allowed the relaxing rocking motion to soothe them both. Peso closed his eyes, and settled. Kwazii let him tuck his head under his chin. There was no reason to think of Peso's pain today. He just missed his father. Kwazii would make him feel better.
He HAD too.
"I know," Kwazii tried to put his own feelings aside. "I know you miss your daddy. He'll come back, just like he always does." 'Don't be nervous,' he repeated inside, over and over. 'Don't let the baby know you're not sure.'
They stayed like that for a while, just enjoying the silence of the nursery. Kwazii rested his head on Peso's soft little fluffy feathers and closed his eyes. Maybe Peso would sleep the whole time. How long were the others going to be gone?
The silence was interrupted by a fussy noise. Feeling much more confident now, Kwazii turned on a music box on the side table. Peso calmed for a moment, but was still unhappy. Kwazii forced himself into a more alert position. Peso was poking his diaper sadly, and it was sagging. At least THAT issue was pretty telltale on it's own. Kwazii sighed, looking at Peso's woeful face with sympathy. "Okay, okay. Alright, let's get you changed." Peso sniffled, and held tightly to Kwazii as the cat got up, and maneuvered his way to the changing table. It was as if Kwazii were a lifeline, but Peso just needed something soft and warm to hold onto with his diaper feeling cold and soggy. It must not have felt very good. He needed to clutch something.
Kwazii tried to settle him onto the changing table, but Peso hiccupped, and held his paws tight. Kwazii couldn't help a little chuckle. "Come on, silly. Time for a change." He didn't interact with little kids much, but he loved babies ell enough. Peso looked at him with those big baby eyes. And Kwazii melted.
"Oh, Peso. Whatcha so sad for?" He cooed, pulling Peso into a hug. He needed to calm him down, or he wouldn't be able to change him. Peso wrapped his flippers around Kwazii's neck, and sniffled into the crook of it. Kwazii tried to push the butterflies away. But Peso deserved an expert. Not him.
"K-kazee."
Kwazii looked at the little one sympathetically. Peso looked at him again, still so woebegone. "K-kazee...kwazee...Kwazii." He snuggled into his chest. Kwazii felt his heart burst. He actually sniffled a little. He wasn't afraid to admit it.
"Aw. You could melt anyone within a ten-billion mile radius." He choked a little there. After hugging Peso close for a while, he lifted him up and kissed his cheek. "I know I'm not usually the soft type. But I'm trying me best here. Be patient with me, okay lil feller?"
Peso looked at him innocently, as if to say, "OK" and Kwazii laid him down. "This might feel a little funny. Bear with me." Peso felt himself being strapped into the changing table, and started to fiddle with the strap. Kwazii laughed. "I can't change your diaper with you fiddling all over the place!" He scooped up the nearest soft toy, which happened to be a lamb with soft fleece like a blanket. Peso rested his cheek against it, just being the good boy that he was. It melted Kwazii's heart.
But now the real challenge. Kwazii remembered Inkling trying to teach him this. How someone could do this with or without eight arms was beyond Kwazii, but the process of diapers, despite being very simple, really, was actually particularly tough to him. For whatever reason, he just couldn't remember the steps in the right order, and he could never get the diaper on properly.
'Here we go,' Kwazii encouraged himself. He started picking at the tapes of Peso's old diaper. The baby whimpered when his diaper was moved, reminding him of the uncomfortable feelings of soggy coldness. He worried he might get a rash.
How had the captain done this? Kwazii gripped the diaper in one paw and the tape in the other, and pulled. It was pretty stubborn-probably to keep little kids from taking it off accidentally. Keeping diapers secure was, according to Inkling, the second most important part.
The most important part was getting the baby clean.
Kwazii sighed, thinking to himself. Why him? Peso deserved better, and he was pretty sure Peso wasn't happy in that old diaper right now.
lightbulb.
Kwazii rushed from the room, and came speed-tip toeing back, holding some scissors. Careful of his little charge's fragile body, he went about snipping the tapes open, finally removing the diaper.
Once that was, done, Kwazii just needed to get Peso clean.
Peso had learned to get used to the cold of the wipes. It was better than the stuff drying itself into his feathers. Kwazii calmly moved the wipe across Peso's nether regions, moving his legs with his paws to get into parts the diaper had swaddled close. He hoped Peso was clean enough.
"Feel better matey?" He asked him quietly. Peso nodded, and Kwazii lifted his lower half, powdered it with the fan brush, and lowered it onto a soft bed of padding. He powdered Peso's frontside, and folded the diaper over, tucking him into the thick safe cushion. Peso giggled, and kicked his legs, settling in and getting rid of excess powder. Sure enough, to white, strawberry scented clouds poofed out of the leg holes. Kwazii couldn't help laughing.
"So," crisis averted. "What next my lil treasure?"
Peso's growling stomach answered that for him. "Feeding time."
Luckily, Kwazii had the Vegimals to help him this time. He settled Peso into his high chair and made sure he was secure, before turning to the busy little creatures. Kwazii smiled, remembering when they were babies, before they met Peso. The group of little hybrids had been crazy curious about everything. They reminded him so much of Peso today.
The Vegimals warmed the bottle right and made sure the food was soft enough for Peso to have. Kwazii watched carefully, in case he needed to repeat the action. When lunch was ready, he tied a bib around Peso's neck. The little thing looked back at him and giggled. Kwazii wondered, not for the first time, what went on in that head of his.
You'd think no one had ever been fed before. Kwazii had to continuously stop himself from thinking about how Peso's father had near-starved the poor thing. While he fed him, Peso gave Kwazii the biggest smile and clapped his flippers. Maybe the captain was right.
It was the bottle that excited Peso the most. As soon as he saw it, he stretched his little chubby body, reaching for it. Kwazii scooped him carefully into one arm, and started to nurse him. Peso calmed immediately, and drank from the bottle like it was a life line.
Easy matey." Kwazii chuckled. "Not so fast. You'll get a bellyache." Peso slowed down and the Vegimals crowded him, chittering in delight. As soon as he was finished, Peso snuggled up to Kwazii, and the cat chuckled. "Alright, alright." He blushed. He'd never had a little sibling before.
Kwazii started to leave, but an unexpected drama arose form the vegimals, prompting him to turn around. Tunip made believe he had his own baby and was putting it over one shoulder. Tamminow patted Groubers back pointedly.
"Oh." Kwazii laid Peso against his shoulder, and patted his back until he heard a small telltale noise. Peso settled further against his shoulder and slept peacefully. Kwazii sighed gently, and returned to the nursery.
Upon waking up, Peso seemed to be in a rather grumpy mood. Kwazii gave him some soft toys to play with, but nothing worked. He pouted and turned away.
Sighing, Kwazii settled into the rocking a=chair with an Octotablet. "Hey Mum. Hey Dad." His relationship with his father was a little shaky. While his mother, Cecelia, was Calico Jack's daughter, his father, Gabrielle, was Indian-native and strict, working for an accounting company. He'd never really supported Kwazii's pirate dream, even though his mother was all for it. It was like he felt misplaced or something. Kwazii wasn't sure what it was.
"Hello dear," Cecelia looked at her son fondly. Gabrielle nodded his head. "How do, Kwazii." As if Kwazii were company, and not his son. But Kwazii kept that to himself. Ever since learning of Peso's past, he'd stopped feeling so angry toward his father. he just tried to push through it.
"Look, I'm babysitting..." he decided not to say who, " and I wanted to know...when I was a baby, what did you do with me when I was angry?" His parents didn't tell him much about when he was a baby, but Kwazii had seen enough videos to know he'd gotten into boxes of pipe cleaners, learned a nasty word from his father (accidentally) and his mother had been talking to him before he was even BORN. She liked to tell him everything tat was going on in her life, even during the years he couldn't talk back.
She even had his father give him a daily blow-by-blow of HIS day.
"You were never angry sweetie." Cecelia smiled fondly. It was true. Kwazii was mischievous at times, but he had never been angry. Annoyed, yes or maybe sad, but if he encountered something unpleasant, he usually just ignored it.
"You only ever fussed when we put you in your rib." Gabrielle put in stiffly. Kwazii had never heard his father talk any other way.
The pirate sighed. "Okay. Well..."
"Try giving the baby something else to think about." Cecelia offered, before turning away. "I have to get to the vet now. Eisenhower's got tooth problems. Bye." The screen went blank. The last thing Kwazii heard as he said goodbye was their bloodhound, Eisenhower, barking.
He looked at Peso in his crib again. It was a pretty big enough crib, seeing as Kwazii was pretty short, being a housepet and all...
Barnacles rubbed his eye, stepping carefully out of the Gup. Who knew herding spooked sardines would be so exhausting? Even without Kwazii's loud voice and sudden movements, the sardines were terrified of them.
Dashi walked after him, holding her camera, smiling at some particularly humorous shots she'd gotten. "Why don't you go see Peso? I bet he's dying to see you."
"Yes...where is he, anyway?" Usually, when they saw him coming home, whoever was babysitting would bring Peso down and the little penguin would proceed to run into Barnacles arm. Instead, Tunip came down to shush them and gesture upstairs.
Barnacles followed the little yellow vegimal straight to the nursery. It was dark, and there were soft sounds coming from the crib.
Barnacles bit back some light laughter. Kwazii was settled in the crib, wrapped around Peso like he was a kitten. Both of them were sleeping soundly, amongst the stuffed animals.
Peso blinked awake and looked up. "Daddy." He cooed softly, reaching up with his flippers. When Barnacles gathered him into a hug, Kwazii's hackles rose a tad. He looked up. "hm...wha?"
Barnacles smiled down at him. "it's supper time. Come on." He wasn't sure what to say to him.
But at least Kwazii now knew he could survive babysitting.