Dave and Leroy Ch. 13

After about half an hour, Jason started to stir. He looked up at Leroy and then over at Dave and slid off Leroy's lap. Jason walked over to Dave and took his hand, trying to pull him over to the toys. Dave laughed, got up and was pulled the rest of the way by Jason.

Jason looked over at Leroy, sitting, watching Dave and him. "Come play," Jason told Leroy. Yesterday, other than laughing, he hadn't said anything to them. Leroy just smiled and walked over to them.

They sat and played for just a little while before Lisa came into the room. "Dave, Leroy, could we talk for a few minutes?" She then directed Melissa to play with Jason, who didn't like that he was losing his playmates and started to cry. Leroy was torn from talking to Lisa to comforting Jason. He picked him up for a few minutes before Melissa took Jason from him.

Lisa guided Dave and Leroy to her office. "Is everything okay?" Dave asked. He was wondering why they had been pulled out of the room with Jason. He could see the concern on Leroy's face.

"Yes, everything is fine. I just decided instead of making you wait to take Jason home this afternoon, that we would start the process now, and you could take him as soon as we're done here." Dave and Leroy looked at one another, smiled and hugged. Lisa smiled as well.

After signing a ton of papers, another social worker brought in all of Jason's belongings. "Did you get a car seat last night?"

"Yes, it's in the trunk of the car," Dave responded.

"Good. Bring your car up to the front doors so I can see you install it, and then we will have Jason brought out to you."

"Just like that?" Leroy asked.

"Just like that, Leroy," Lisa smiled at him.

Dave went to get the car, and Leroy stood and talked to Lisa. When Dave drove up, he popped the trunk, and Leroy pulled the car seat out of the back and loaded the little bag of clothes. "I guess we need to go shopping for some more clothes." Leroy smiled at Dave. "And some more toys."

"Leroy, you are going to spoil him."

"You said last night that when we get to take him home, we can take him to look at toys." Leroy smiled and made puppy dog eyes at him.

Both Lisa and Dave laughed. "What am I going to do with you, Leroy? You're just as much a kid as Jason."

"Well, you already married me, and we are getting our dream of a family, sooooo," Leroy smiled, "take Jason and me to the store to buy toys."

"Let's work on figuring out how to install the car seat, first." Dave opened the box and pulled out the car seat.

"Well, you two did well. You at least bought the appropriate car seat. Not everyone does," Lisa stated.

"We asked," Dave responded as he put it in the back seat and was trying to figure out how to hook it up. He finally pulled the instructions out of the box.

"It's easy, Dave. Go to the other side and watch." Lisa leaned into the car and strapped the car seat in, showing Dave a couple of times, then showing Leroy. They then walked back in finding Melissa standing there holding Jason who was holding a teddy bear.

Leroy walked up to Melissa and stuck his hands out to Jason to see if he would let him take him, and Jason reached out for him. "Jason, do you want to go home with Dave and me?" Leroy asked him. Jason didn't say anything, just leaned into Leroy.

"Well, I just need to watch you strap him in, and you are on your way. I will be checking in on you periodically, and some of my visits will be unannounced." Lisa watched Leroy strap Jason in. He had done that before, just never installed the car seat. They all shook hands and then Dave and Leroy were leaving for home.

Leroy looked over at Dave and then back at Jason. "Dave, we have a kid in the back seat, and no kid-friendly food at home. "He looked at Dave again. "Dave, we have a kid."

"Leroy, are you freaking out on me?" Dave had pulled the car over because he was concerned with the look on Leroy's face.

"Yes, no. Shit, I don't know."

"Shit." Both Dave and Leroy turned around to a smiling Jason.

Dave looked at Leroy. "Of course, of all the words he could choose to repeat, it had to be a bad word. Leroy you are going to have to watch your language around Jason. Let's get home. We will stop through a fast food place and pick up some chicken nuggets. Then I will go out and get a few things for you two before I go to work."

"Why can't we all go out?" Leroy smiled. He knew Dave's answer before he said it.

"Because you will fill the cart with junk food and anything else you think the kid, and you would like."

"Not like I couldn't drive and get something after you go to work," Leroy laughed.

"Well, that is one thing we are going to have to do. We need to buy a car seat for your truck."

They arrived home a little while later, and Dave ran out for some kid-friendly food. He called Allison on his way out and asked what he should pick up. She was shocked that they had Jason already and asked if she could come over. He told her that he would ask Leroy when he got home. When Dave did come back, he found Leroy walking around the house with Jason crying in his arms. Dave just shook his head.

"I think he is tired, and please tell me you picked up pull-ups?"

Dave laughed and pulled them out of one of the bags he was carrying. Leroy grabbed them from him and walked off to the bedroom. He took Jason's pants off and then looked. "How the hell do you change a pull-up?"

"Leroy, watch your language." Dave stepped over to the bed and ripped the sides of the pull-up, and they both backed up. "Okay, Jason, we are going to have to potty train you, because this stinks." Jason laughed, and Dave cleaned him up with the wipes he had bought. He was glad he had called Allison. Dave wouldn't have known what to do either. He stood Jason up and pulled another pull-up on him and then put his pants back on.

"How did you know what to do?"

"I called your sister," Dave chuckled. "By the way, she wants to come over."

"Wow, yeah, we will have to introduce him to the family. Maybe one at a time, because it may be overwhelming for him to see all of my siblings, your sister, and all the kids."

While Dave got ready for work, Leroy called Allison to ask if she could come over. When he tried to get Jason to lay down for a nap, he cried, and Leroy didn't know what else to do but lay down with him. Jason curled up to Leroy and fell asleep immediately. "You know that was the first thing Lisa said not to do," Dave whispered.

"He's in a new home, Dave. He's probably scared out of his mind." Leroy was trying to make an excuse. He really wanted to snuggle with Jason and make him feel safe. Dave just shook his head, walked over to Leroy, and bent down to kiss him before he left.

"I'll see you tonight, Leroy. Try not to let him sleep too long. You know he won't sleep tonight."

Leroy fell asleep after Dave left, and he woke to Allison, tapping him on the shoulder. Jason was lying there awake, and when Leroy woke, Jason smiled at him. "Are you ready to spend some money?"

Leroy looked up at Allison, confused.

"You don't have much for Jason here. You need some sippy cups, and I saw the few clothes that you have. I talked to Dave before waking you, and he agreed I should take you two shopping, but he gave me a budget for the two of you." She smiled at Leroy. "But I won't tell him if you slip something else into the cart." Allison laughed, and Leroy smiled.

They went out to the store and purchased sippy cups and other things that Allison thought they needed for Jason. They even got another car seat for Leroy's truck. Allison would sneak and take pictures of Jason and Leroy. She thought it was the cutest thing that Leroy was now a father. Jason just looked around, never asking for anything. Allison smiled and said knowingly, "that will change."

When they arrived back home, Leroy put the clothes in the bedroom, and Jason played with the big Lego blocks that Leroy was able to 'sneak' into the cart. "Allison, are you sure these shoes aren't too big?"

"Leroy, for kids you want to buy them just a tad big. They grow too quickly and the next thing you know you are out repurchasing shoes. Same with the pants. You can always roll up the cuffs." After putting away the clothes, they had also purchased more pull-ups and wipes. Allison told him what he needed to do to potty train Jason. Warning Leroy it will take a while, boys are generally harder than girls. They had also bought a little potty stool which will sit on the floor of the bathroom.

"Is he allergic to anything?"

"Food-wise, no, according to our paperwork, but he is allergic to a certain medicine they found out, and they listed all variations of it for us."

"Well, it's good that he isn't allergic to food. Leroy, I know you will want to start cooking for him, but don't cater to him. What I mean is, don't start cooking hotdogs because that is the only thing he eats. He will eat what you eat, just be patient with him and cut it in small bites." She smiled at Leroy. She remembered him giving Mikey a piece of chicken, thinking he would cut it up himself. Mikey ended up just biting from it until Leroy got the hint.

She explained Jason probably won't like vegetables, but if Jason sees Dave and him eating them, then Jason might be willing to try them. She also reminded Leroy before she left for the night to ask Jason at least once an hour if he needed to go potty, and show him he could sit on the potty chair for a bit.

They had bought a few nightlights for both Jason's and their bedrooms, the bathroom, and the hallway, so if Jason woke in the night, he could see his way. Allison had explained to Leroy how to get him to lie down and sleep in his own bed, and warned Leroy, he didn't want to get Jason use to sleeping in Dave and his bed. To show Jason, they were just right across the hallway if he needed them.

Dave came in at eight that night for dinner. He didn't find Leroy in the living room, family room, or kitchen, then he heard him in the bedroom. Dave listened and then walked down the hallway. Leroy was sitting in the bed with Jason and reading him a bedtime story. When Jason saw Dave, he stuck his arms out to him. Dave walked over, and Jason hugged him, then rolled over and fell asleep.

Leroy followed Dave out of the room and warmed up his plate of food for him. "How was your day with Jason?"

"According to what I've learned tonight from Allison, we are in over our heads, and I'm already tired." Leroy smiled and sat heavily into the chair.

"Well, we'll have him for the rest of our life, so get used to being tired." Dave laughed.

Dave hugged and kissed Leroy before he left back to work, and when he returned for the night, he was half expecting to find Leroy in the living room waiting for him. When he locked up for the night and put his gun away in the safe, he found Leroy fully clothed asleep in the chair in their bedroom. Dave woke Leroy and told him to get in the bed. When Dave was about to take his underwear off, as usual, Leroy stopped him and said they couldn't sleep naked anymore. Dave just chuckled, put on some shorts, climbed into the bed, and snuggled up to Leroy, who fell asleep before Dave was able to put his head on Leroy's chest.

*

Dave woke up to the soft whimpers of Jason crying beside the bed. He opened his eyes, and there Jason stood all sad with tears streaming down his face. Dave sat up, and Jason stepped back. "It's okay, Jason. Come here," Dave said softly and stretched out his arms to him. Jason walked up to him, and Dave picked him up and took him back to his bedroom. First, he checked his pull-up and changed it, then he lay down with Jason, only planning on staying there until Jason fell back to sleep, but Dave fell asleep too.

That morning Dave walked into the kitchen to find Leroy dancing at the stove and Jason giggling while he waited for Leroy to make pancakes. Dave just smiled and went over and hugged Leroy from behind and kissed him. "Should we do that in front of him?" Leroy asked.

"Yes, Lisa said to be normal in front of him, so he knows we're a couple."

"Okay," Leroy said, lowering his voice and smiling, "but you need to take care of something down below. I would like to, but I'm sure he would walk in on us."

Dave just looked at him and walked away and sat at the table with Jason. Jason was still giggling. "Do you think Leroy is funny, Jason?"

"Yeah," he said, drawing it out. Dave reached over and tickled him, and it made him giggle even more.

"Oh Dave?"

"Yeah," Dave drew his yeah out like Jason did.

"I thought we weren't going to make a habit of sleeping with Jason?" Leroy laughed.

"What can I say? He's too adorable," Dave laughed and smiled.

Dave had the day off, so they stayed in, and Dave looked at all the stuff that Allison and Leroy had gotten the day before. Allison came over again, but this time she brought her husband Jason and their two kids. She told them she had texted everyone the photos of little Jason and that they can't wait to see him. Leroy was disappointed. He wanted to be the one to tell them, but he had waited too long-a whole twenty-four hours.

It didn't take too long for everyone to ignore Leroy's request that they come by separately. His Dad, Dave's parents, all his siblings, Dave's sister, and all their spouses and kids showed up together. The house was overrun with people, but Jason was having the time of his life being around, so many kids to play with and adults to coo over him.

When everyone finally left for the night, they could see that Jason was worn out, and Leroy took him to his bedroom. Leroy only needed to lay with him for ten minutes before he fell asleep.

When Leroy finally came into the bedroom, Dave got up and pushed him into the wall and started kissing him. He sank to his knees and was opening Leroy pants when Leroy stopped him. "What if Jason wakes up?"

"Leroy, he isn't going to. The kids tired him out. Come on, it has been a few days since we-"

Leroy cut him off, "Dave, he could wake up, and what if we were in the middle of sex and he walked in?"

"We will shut the door."

"We can't shut the door. What if Jason cries, and we can't hear him?"

Dave stood up and looked at Leroy, "Only because now I'm out of the mood, you have won tonight. But Leroy, we can't stop having sex now because there is a child in the house."

"What if-" Leroy started.

Dave cut him off, "What if I make you sleep in the spare bedroom?"

"Honey," Leroy knew he pissed Dave off now.

"Leroy, our life doesn't have to stop because we've got a kid now. None of your siblings did. They still have sex and are having more kids." Dave got into bed and turned over to face away from Leroy.

Leroy changed into some shorts, turned the light off, and tried to snuggle up to Dave, but Dave gave him the cold shoulder.

In the middle of the night, Leroy woke. He didn't know what was wrong and got up to check on Jason, and Jason wasn't in his bed. Leroy quickly went and checked the rest of the house before panic truly set in, and he went to wake Dave and found Jason cuddled up to Dave. Leroy tapped Dave's shoulder, and Dave woke. "When did he come in? I was looking all over the house for him," Leroy whispered.

"I'm sorry, Babe. He came in about an hour ago. He crawled up here, and I just let him stay instead of taking him back to his room," Dave smiled guiltily. Leroy just looked at him. "Yeah, we are going to end up spoiling him, I know."

"Just as long as you know it's WE, not just me," Leroy stressed and then chuckled. Leroy got back in the bed and snuggled up to Dave and whispered in his ear, "and if we had made love, and not gotten dressed, this would be awkward."

"Point taken, but we don't have to put off our love life because we've got a kid now, Leroy. I love you, and if it bothers you that much, we could always get your sister to watch him so we can do things."

"Yeah, we will see." Leroy kissed Dave on the neck and turned over. He still didn't feel entirely comfortable touching Dave in front of Jason. He knew he would have to get over that, because as Lisa had told them, they need to act normally around Jason, so he knows it's okay. Leroy decided he would bring that up to Dr. Watts on Friday.

Edited 10/20/2021