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Father and Son
“Now, now, little one….”
“Mrp!”
THUMP!
Captain Mortu ran a hand down his exo-suit’s face, trying to stifle a chuckle at the high pitched chirp that echoed at him from the ground.
“It’s late… You need to go to bed.”
TCRI was buzzing with activity at all hours but for Utroms that was easy. He didn’t need to sleep any time soon himself. He had slept… 4 days ago, that was sufficient.
However, despite knowing his own body well enough to understand that for him, that might as well be just a few hours… for the little one that they had taken in, that was a different story entirely.
The tot had a stubby tail that thumped against the ground, his snout turned up at him, giving him those sad eyes that he swore no one in this place was able to turn away from… Not easily.
Becoming a parent… was not something the captain had ever expected, in his lifetime. Not any time soon if he had to be honest. He expected to get to at least 6,000 before deciding to settle down.
Life had different plans though.
Very, very different plans.
Plans that had come in the form of finding a young Earth crocodile deep in the sewers of New York.
Mortu reached out, his suit’s sensors picking up the rough texture of his scales, quickly finding the spot behind his head… just behind the child’s ear.
Leatherhead was a brilliant one. He had grown rather fond of the Utroms new charge, incredibly fast and the child quickly imprinted on him, following him all over the complex like a little shadow.
“I’m not sleepy…”
The child had a terrible poker face, trying to resist the yawn that threatened to escape.
“Hm?”
Mortu started to gently scratch that very spot, his awaiting arm catching the little one as he huddled up to him in an instant.
That never failed to work. It worked when the child was closer to the size of a puppy, it worked now that he was 4.
A loud trill escaped the toddler as Mortu lifted him up into his arms, adjusting him so his weight was on his shoulder.
“There we are. You know, you need your sleep. It’s not healthy for children your age to stay up so late.”
“You stay up all the time… You know that isn’t healthy either… I…” He yawned, a squeaky chirp leaving him as the boy struggled to keep his eyes open… “I read in a book, you need at least 8 hours…”
“And yet we have this discussion every night, my son.”
Leatherhead, wrapped his arms around Mortu’s neck, burying his snout into the neck of the exo suit, his body vibrating with a deep little rumble.
Mortu began walking to the elevator to take him up to the common area.
“I don’t want to… I want to stay with you…”
“When you're older you can stay up.”
Leatherhead turned his head up, his tail thumping against the side of the exo suit as it trailed down. Mortu gave him a stern look as he was momentarily knocked off balance.
“Ah ah.”
“You never sleep either.”
“I sleep once every two weeks. That’s normal for me.”
“Mother said that was unhealthy even for you.”
Mortu patted the child’s head, silently cursing Ma’rielle for telling the child that. Okay, maybe two weeks was pushing it but he was busy! He had apprentices, he had research projects to lead, he had to worry about keeping them all safe…
I had to marry the bluntest medic in the galaxy…
“... I slept four days ago. I have time.”
“Father!”
Leatherhead chirped at him instead, making him laugh.
“You’re the one who was falling asleep into his books just five minutes ago, yet here you are getting worried about me…”
Leatherhead’s arms tightened around him a little more, burying his snout into his father’s shoulder.
“Who else will?”
Mortu sighed, a bit of guilt popping up… His child was brilliant, so empathic…
But already was putting pressure on himself he didn’t need to concern himself with. What the Utroms and the Guardians did was, if he had any say in it, would never affect him. He would tell him one day about the reason they were on Earth, about why he had to stay inside TCRI where it was safe…
Those were not things a four year old needed to concern himself with. That was the last thing he ever wanted for him.
He rested his exo-suit’s head against the boy’s head, holding him tighter.
“That’s my job.” His voice softened.
He was going soft and he knew it. He would fight to the death for this child, but he couldn’t deny…
“We are the ones who worry for you. Not the other way around.”
He held him tighter as they rode the elevator.
Leatherhead gave him a small pout as Mortu continued to carry him to his room.
“No… I wanna help too…”
Mortu hummed in thought.
“How so?”
“I wanna do Mother’s job too…”
“My son… You have no idea what you're capable of yet.”
“ Mrp?”
The high pitched chirp was a sound he was going to miss when the boy got older, he knew it. He was already dreading when the child would be too tall to pick up anymore.
I understand how some of our guardians feel about their children…
“Look at what Splinter learned to do!”
… And rats.
“You have limitless potential. I have no doubt that anything you set your mind to you will be brilliant at it.”
Leatherhead smiled, a loud rumble escaping him as his father held him tighter.
He nuzzled into his side, chirping happily at that, his tail thumping against his side.
“You mean it?”
“Oh I do!”
As he entered the boy’s room he was reminded once again about how much his and Ma’rielle’s life changed… how their entire family's dynamic had changed in what felt like a breath.
This room had previously been used mostly as storage. Now, a comfortable bed was off to the corner. Toys that several of his colleagues had made for Leatherhead were scattered about, puzzles, mind teasers, mock models of their starships… his desk covered in his books and holo-pads. The ceiling had a projection of the star system the homeworld inhabited.
This child was theirs and that was never going to change
“Did you finish all of those already?”
“Mm-hm…”
He didn’t miss the way the child’s eyes were starting to droop.
Got him.
“I liked the one about the crocodile god…”
“Oh?” He asked, as he laid him down on the bed. “Sobek was your favorite?”
“Ahuh….”
Note to self, find more children’s books about crocodiles. Can’t hurt to have some good role models.
Leatherhead refused to let go of him, his little claws digging into his suit. Not enough to tear it, but he was not interested in being put to bed. He was old enough to stay up late too! He was FOUR! He was pretty sure one of his relatives hadn’t even slept in four years!
He chirped at him, the high pitched noise echoing in the quiet room. His tail thumped, against the exo-suit, knocking the Utrom inside off balance.
“H-Hey!” He exclaimed, trying not to drop him.
Leatherhead tilted his head, his eyes wide and giving him a pout, trilling.
“Five more minutes?”
Mortu tried to be stern, looking away from that face.
Oh no, he was not going to catch heat from his wife over letting the child stay up. He tried that once and Leatherhead was so overtired the next day, he just slept most of it and then was up for the rest of the night.
Be strong.
Be strong.
Resist.
Resist…
Mortu rubbed his back, rocking him side to side for a few minutes.
“No. Your mother would be so furious with me if I let you stay up.”
“Please?”
Leatherhead trilled, before he yawned, his mouth opened wide, his entire body stretching, as he tried to shake off his exhaustion.
Inside his exo-suit, Mortu put a tentacle to his face, closing his eyes, willing himself to resist that face. He was a war veteran!
He was not going to lose a battle of wills with a tired toddler!
He’s not going to be this small forever… a part of him whispered in the back of his mind.
“... What if I stayed with you tonight?” He offered.
Leatherhead nodded rapidly and trilled.
“Please, Father?”
“Alright, alright, lay down…”
He’d charge his exo-suit tomorrow.
He set the boy on the bed before allowing the inner chamber of his suit to open as he climbed out.
Leatherhead’s eyes lit up before he hurried to dive under his blankets, his nose and head poking out from under it.
Mortu chuckled as he walked across the soft comforter before he huddled under his son’s awaiting arm.
Leatherhead brought his arms around him, curling up into a little ball, churring deeply.
Mortu rested against his head, churring deeply in turn. He nuzzled his son, trying to coax him off to sleep.
Although… he had to admit, he was rather comfortable.
“Mm…”
Leatherhead yawned, closing his eyes and nuzzling under the blanket more. His arms tightened around his father, tugging him closer.
“I love you, Father…”
“And I love you…”
And if anyone ever tries to harm you, I will cut them down.
He didn’t need to say that thought. He knew if Ch’rell had ever come for their family he’d fight to the death for his son and his wife in particular. There wouldn’t be a force alive Ch’relll could throw at him.
For now though… he could put Ch’rell out of his mind for a night.
He could continue preparing for that day a different time.
For now, the battle he won was successfully coaxing his son into going to bed before 12 AM. That was a victory he would take for the day.
“Father?” Leatherhead asked, his voice thick with exhaustion as he tucked his tail in around them more.
“Yes?”
“Go to sleep…”
Mortu closed his eyes, biting his lip, a chuckle escaping him.
“I suppose I can grant myself tonight.”
“Grant yourself every night.”
Even as the world of dreams tempted his son into its embrace, he was still trying to look out for him.
Mortu nuzzled him, humming softly.
“Shh….”
“Promise?”
“Alright, alright. I promise to try.”
“Good.”
Leatherhead churred before he started to go slack. Once his breathing evened out, Mortu went to squirm out of the toddler’s arms.
A clawed hand wrapped around one of his tentacles, making him fall flat on his face into the bedspread.
“Mmph!”
Mortu was dragged right back into the spot he was in before as Leatherhead turned over,
He supposed he was going to have to sleep tonight.
He closed his eyes, huddling under the covers, churring.
For tonight…
He could rest.