Summary: Virgil and Janus decide to take their toddler to the beach on their first holiday as a family since both fathers love the ocean, but they find their little baby scared and trembling at the waves. A more comforting approach is in order.
Words: 1275
"Wow, it's windy out here." Janus and Virgil had finally reached the beach after being stuck in the car for hours, with a screaming and complaining toddler. One father, the one that really needed this escape from his lawyer job, was tasked with keeping the towels on the ground while Virgil was holding their child and helping him wake from a nap. "How's Artie?"
Two year old Arthur was wiping his eyes and mumbling as he felt the chills of the beach, contradicted with the warmth of his father's arms. "You up buddy?" Virgil gently cooed, kissing the boy's forehead and rocking him side-to-side. When Arthur shook his head both fathers giggled.
"God we're lucky... Hey Artie?" Janus crouched a little to be level with Arthur, ruffling his blond curls and letting him mumble a little. He still couldn't believe he had an amazing son with the love of his life. "Do you want Dad to take you to the car so you can nap a little longer? It's just really fun out here and we can't wait to play with you!"
Arthur seemed to love the attention he was getting as he reached out to be held by Janus instead. Janus took the boy with a laugh. "Oh you're very sleepy! Can you see the sea?" Virgil wondered back to the car as the father and son entertained themselves with the father blowing raspberries into the toddler's cheek. Eventually the boy was awake enough to look into the distance beside them and watch the sea. And he was watching the ocean with interest. "You want to go over there Artie?"
Janus slowly began to walk forward as Arthur watched the ocean curiously, gripping onto his father. He probably hadn't seen the ocean before - since he was only adopted into Virgil and Janus' family nine months ago and before that he was cooped up in a foster home in the city. Everything was new and Janus couldn't wait to watch the curious mind of the toddler work.
"Wa'da!" Arthur cheered and pointed at the ocean, trying his hardest to say his new favourite word. Janus smiled and kissed the toddler's cheek before correcting the word.
"Yeah, there's lots of water here buddy!" Arthur was placed on the wet sand, he looked down at his muddy feet and stuck his thumb in his mouth, paused and confused. Other kids around the father and son were running around, chasing each other, exploring the water and making sandcastles. But that didn't seem to be Arthur. "Hey, shall we make sandcastles?" A level of excitement came to Arthur's face as he ran back to the towel sanctity to get a colourful bucket and spade. Janus stayed a distance but watched the toddler wondered there and back, keeping his eyes excitedly on Dad.
Virgil soon joined his husband and son again beside the sea, but he was looking at the ocean rather than the family, with his hands behind his back. Arthur watched his father curiously and toddled over with his Little Mermaid bucket and spade. And Virgil's smile when he looked down at his son was irresistible. "Hey Artie! How about we go for a swim together?" Virgil scooped Arthur up and kissed the boy's cheek, Janus also went by his family's side to make sure everyone was safe.
They didn't expect Arthur to start screaming bloody murder as soon as Virgil's feet were fully submerged. "Wow, wow! It's OK Artie, it's OK!" Arthur wasn't listening, just screaming and crying and trying to reach out to the half built sandcastle he had made. "What do we do?"
Janus stood behind Virgil, so that he'd be in Arthur's field of view. He tried to grasp his boy's hands but the little palms were flailing too much. "Arthur, listen to me please... Oh God he's really panicking." Janus took Arthur gently and walked back to the shore. As soon as Arthur saw his father's feet on the sand again he stopped screaming, and just breathed quickly. "There, there... Smell flowers buddy." In this moment that fathers were grateful for teaching their toddler breathing exercises, as he breathed in through his nose and out through his mouth straight away.
Virgil was heart-broken though. How could he scare his son like that? He was such a bad father for doing that and not running out the water straight away. Luckily, Janus knew how common Virgil's cognitive distortions were, so he carefully beckoned Virgil over as he spoke. "Daddy didn't mean to scare you bud. Do you not like the ocean?" Arthur quickly nodded and glared at the water again. When Janus and Virgil adopted this little boy they vowed to protect him at all cost... but now they felt like they should make this a learning experience.
"Hey, you want to hear a secret Artie?" Virgil whispered once Arthur had calmed down again and the family were back making sandcastles. Arthur watched his father with intrigue, not realising that his other father had snaked away for the mission to begin. "You see this mermaid?" Virgil held out a small mermaid toy which Arthur tried to grab. "I heard that if you put your toes in the water while holding this a mermaid will come out!"
Arthur's eyes widened and he gasped quickly. "Me-maid!"
"Yeah! Let's dip our toes in together!" Slowly Virgil and Arthur wondered to the sea again, Arthur grabbing onto his father's hands as if his life depended on it. "Do you want to hold the mermaid?" The toddler shook his head and closed the open fist that held the mermaid toy. The son and father then slowly walked towards the waves with plenty of encouragement along the way. Virgil felt immensely proud.
"Dada! Dada!" Arthur was eventually screaming, happy this time, as he raised and lowered his heels in the water. His little hands were pointed towards a glowing yellow crawling around in the water. "Me-maid!"
Virgil couldn't help but smile wide watching the amazement in the toddler's face. "That's right buddy!" Virgil cooed and expected that Arthur would call the mermaid over, but he was even more proud when he could see Arthur cautiously walk forward. Virgil still held on but stayed completely silent. The mermaid soon raised his head.
Of course the mermaid was actually Virgil's darling husband dressed in a waterproof wig and an adult mermaid tail. The good thing about not having Arthur for that long yet was that he couldn't identify his parents' faces too well. So to him, this mermaid was a completely new creature. "Hello! Are you the very brave human that summoned me?" Janus chirped in a practiced high pitched voice he did whenever he dressed as mermaids or fairies for his nieces and nephews. Arthur couldn't stop jumping. "Do you want a present for being such a brave boy?"
"Ya! Me-maid!" There was a moment of short eye contact with Janus and Virgil, they smiled sweetly at each other and Virgil started to blush. He loves being a Dad so much. Janus swished the waves for a while with his mermaid magic, eventually catching a small pink shell. Arthur finally let go of one of Virgil's arms to grab the shell. "Dank oo!"
"You're welcome sweetie." And with that the mermaid disappeared into the ocean again, Arthur gazing up at Virgil proudly. They walked to the beach together to make more sandcastles again, and soon enough Janus came back to the pair too with fresh ice cream. He told Arthur that the ice cream queue was long, and feigned shock that a mermaid gave his son a seashell to keep.