it's nine in the morning and, surprisingly, tyler is still asleep. josh figured the boy would've woken up extra early, considering today is his birthday, but he really doesn't mind. it gave him plenty of time to get the boy's birthday surprise, as well as time to make chocolate chip pancakes. he has a plate of them in his hand now, sippy cup full of milk on the other, as he ascends the stairs to their bedroom.
"babyyy, time to get up!" he announces, smiling as the little one groans.
"no, sleep," tyler mumbles, lifting the blanket over his eyes when josh flicks on the lights.
"the birthday boy can't sleep all day."
"oh my gosh!" tyler gasps, now wide awake as he springs out of bed. "it's my birthday, daddy!"
"i know, silly. why do you think i brought you breakfast?" josh teases, never able to stop smiling when tyler is around.
"b'eakfast in bed?" tyler giggles, climbing atop the duvet and gathering his stuffies to sit next to him.
"that's right," josh nods, handing the boy his plate and setting the sippy cup on the bedside table. "i'm going to get my plate and i'll be right back, okay?"
"okay!" tyler beams, trying his hardest not to spill his food. it's really hard when he can't stop bouncing because he's so excited. he stuffs a couple of bites into his mouth by the time josh returns. "i get presents, daddy?"
"of course, honey. your present is waiting for you downstairs."
"okay, present time!" tyler urges, trying to hand josh his barely-touched plate of food.
"uh-uh, nice try. i know you're excited, but you have to eat first," josh says, shaking his head.
"but daddy! too excited, can't eat..."
"ty, your present will still be here when you're done eating. please, for daddy?"
tyler can't help but smile. his daddy is very convincing. "fiiiine."
they spend the next ten minutes or so eating their breakfast, tyler rambling on about a dream he had while josh listens contently. something about them taking a space ship to a different universe where all of tyler's stuffies came to life. absolutely adorable.
"full now, i promise!" tyler swears, drawing an 'x' over his heart. josh glances at his plate and sees it wiped almost completely clean.
"good job, honey. i knew you could do it. after we take care of our dishes you can have your present, okay?"
"okay!" tyler agrees, hopping out of bed and bolting downstairs. josh quickly follows behind, not wanting the boy to peak at his present. together, they rinse off their plates and set them in the dishwasher. "now, daddy, now?!"
"yes, baby," josh chuckles. "close your eyes. no peaking. if you do, you're getting put in time out and can't play with your present."
"hmph," tyler pouts, arms crossed over his chest as he squeezes his eyes shut tightly.
josh scoops the boy up and carries him into the living room. he puts tyler down on the couch, waving his hand in front of his eyes to make sure he isn't peaking.
"what's takin' so long?" the brunette whines.
"hold out your arms," josh instructs, carefully picking up tyler's present.
the boy does as told, eyes shut and arms out. his jaw drops when something soft and fluffy is placed in his lap. tyler's first thought is it's a new stuffy, but then the thing moves.
"you can open your eyes," josh laughs, the couch dipping as he sits beside the boy.
the second tyler opens his eyes, he starts crying. on his lap, nibbling on his fingers, is the same golden retriever puppy from the shelter.
"it's so cute!" he cries, carefully picking the dog up and hugging it against his chest. "oh my gosh..."
"do you like your present, cutie?"
"i wuv it!" tyler sniffs, nuzzling the side of his face against the golden retriever's. "s'mine? to keep?"
"yes, to keep," josh assures, reaching out and patting the dog's butt.
"ohhh, i love you so much, daddy! i love you! and jim!" tyler rambles, letting the dog jump off his lap as he hugs josh's side.
"i love you too, little boy. his name is jim?"
"uh-huh," tyler nods, thumb naturally falling into place between his lips. he watches jim with sparkling eyes, giggling as the puppy starts chewing on the end of josh's pant leg.
josh laughs along too, both watching jim's ears flap as he shakes his head back and forth. his arm wraps around the brunette, pulling him in closer. he notices tyler sucking on his thumb and nearly awes.
"is tyler feeling small?"
tyler nods, too busy sucking on his thumb and watching jim be silly to answer verbally.
"soooo small?"
he nods again, doe-eyes glancing up at the older. josh soothes a hand through the boy's hair, making him hum quietly. jim jumps back up on the couch, nudging his way to sit directly between them.
tyler grins, pointing at the puppy.
"i know, baby, i see," josh smiles along, happy as long as tyler is. "do you-"
"SUPRISE!"
jim starts barking like mad and races over to greet the three new guests. tyler jumps, startled by the loud noise, and buries his face under josh's arm to try and block out the sound.
"woah, since when do you have a dog?" dallon asks.
"puppy!" ryan squeaks, kneeling down and giggling as jim starts licking his face.
"oh my gosh, that's the cutest thing ever," brendon gushes, thrusting the wrapped gift in his hands into dallon's so he can bend down and pet the dog too.
upon hearing their voices, tyler picks his head up. he giggles at his friends, thumb still tucked between his lips.
"come sit down, guys," josh says, inviting them in. "that's jim, tyler's new puppy i got him for his birthday."
"i love 'em!" ryan exclaims, then snatches one of the gifts from dallon. he runs over to the two on the couch and holds out the present. "happy birthday, ty-ty! dis my present for you, daddy lemme pick it out myself!"
tyler bounces excitedly, yet doesn't take the present. so josh takes it instead, explaining, "tyler's feeling very small right now, ry. would it be okay if he opens his presents later?"
"oh, okay!" ryan nods, taking a seat beside the brunette. "your doggy is so cute! wanna squish him's cheeks."
dallon and brendon sit together on the loveseat, setting tyler's various gifts aside for now. "well our presents seem like trash compared to yours, josh," dallon says.
"i'm sure ty will still love them," josh chuckles. "how have you guys been?"
"good!" ryan answers right away. "daddy took me and brenny to see a movie yesterday. i ate too much candy and got a tummy ache even though daddy told me it would happen. for thanksgiving we went to my house! mine's family's the nicest cuz they aren't big meanies like daddy's and brenny's," the boy rambles.
"okay, ry, i think he gets it," dallon says.
"but so much happened!" ryan argues. "couple days ago, me and brenny snuck outside at dark time to see the stars and daddy caught us and he was mad at first cuz he was scared we got stolen but then we all looked at the stars together! have you looked at the stars, ty? they're so pretty!" he continues on for quite some time, everyone just letting him speak until he runs out of things to say. "anyways, your puppy's so cute!"
"you said that like ten times!" brendon cuts in.
"cuz is true!" ryan retorts, narrowing his eyes at brendon.
"okay, enough," dallon interrupts. "no arguing when ty feels so small. what do you guys want to do for a bit?"
"there's leftover pancakes in the kitchen if you guys are hungry," josh says, his heart nearly exploding when tyler tugs on his shirt, whining. "what is it, honey?"
more tugging, more whining.
"you want more pancakes?"
more whining, more tugging.
"daddy's lap?"
now smiling, still tugging.
josh scoots the brunette into his lap, facing him towards ryan. "better?"
tyler hums contently, head resting on the man's chest. he lets his eyes shut, listening to the steady rhythm of josh's heart.
"sorry, he must be sleepy. i woke him up too early, i guess," josh apologizes.
"no, that's okay. are my two little monsters hungry?" dallon asks, glancing between brendon and ryan.
"nah," brendon says.
"no, wan' watch cartoons," ryan answers, pointing at the black tv screen.
josh tosses dallon the remote, careful not to move around too much and wake his sleeping little. they spend the next five minutes with ryan trying to settle on a cartoon, then the next hour watching said cartoon. tyler wakes up soon after, and he's more than ready to open his presents.