Ficlet: Rocket Ships and Moonbeams
Note: I've had this one for a long time but just never posted it. Nothing but pure little!Wayne and little!Oscar fluff.
“I’m gonna to teach you about space, Oscar!” Wayne said happily, tiny white teeth showing as he smiled with enthusiasm. “It’s what the sky is when it’s night,” he explained as he opened his picture book in front of his baby brother.
A curious hand soon began smacking at the picture in front of him. “That’s the sun. It’s yellow,” Wayne informed. “It’s a big light. And that’s a star,” he said, pointing to a bunch of pointy, silver shapes on the next page. “And we live here!” he proclaimed next, flipping ahead and pointing at random a green blotch on an illustration of Earth. “That’s the moon,” he told Oscar when the tiny hand reached out again. “Her name is Luna. She’s Earth’s friend. See?” Wayne asked, showing how the smiling circles were waving to each other in the picture book.
He told his little brother all about the planet family, talking excitedly whenever Oscar reacted with an inquisitive touch or babble. Wayne loved whenever Oscar spoke, loved getting him to repeat anything he could even if his brother couldn’t really talk right yet. “Sat-turn wears rings like Mom,” Wayne said. “Ju-pit’s big like Dad. You can be baby Pluto.” He flipped to another page where a man waved out of the window of rocket. “That’s a rocket ship. I wanna ride one. You can come too.”
Wayne wanted to talk about everything in the book, but eventually Oscar stopped reaching and pointing and instead started squirming fussily.
“Naptime, Oscar,” Wayne declared when he saw how Oscar eyes were mostly closed. He set his book aside and ran to grab a soft bundle of fabric nearby. “I got blankie for you,” he whispered since mom kept telling him nap time meant quiet time. He carefully hoisted Oscar up and set his brother on the fuzzy square of cloth then picked up his book again. He was too old for naps. Naps were for littlies like Oscar. Wayne smiled proudly. He wasn’t little; Mom said he was big now! He was big brother and Oscar was little brother.
Only he was kind of sleepy too…
And soon enough Wayne was curled up as well, and a few minutes later, two pairs of hands picked up each boy to set them in their proper beds.
Wayne stirred a bit and blinked sleepily as he was tucked in, looking up. “I was teaching Oscar ‘bout space,” he announced drowsily, before closing his eyes again. “I’m gonna teach him lots of stuff.”
“I’m sure you will,” a soft voice replied before placing a kiss on the boy’s face. A hand went to rub his hair and Wayne was fast asleep again.
And his picture book lay on the floor where it had been left, along with many other books. Books about colors and shapes and how to count to ten. Books about space and the ocean and what sounds animals made. Wayne hadn’t taught Oscar about all of them yet. But he would.
“I’m gonna to teach you about space, Oscar!” Wayne said happily, tiny white teeth showing as he smiled with enthusiasm. “It’s what the sky is when it’s night,” he explained as he opened his picture book in front of his baby brother.
A curious hand soon began smacking at the picture in front of him. “That’s the sun. It’s yellow,” Wayne informed. “It’s a big light. And that’s a star,” he said, pointing to a bunch of pointy, silver shapes on the next page. “And we live here!” he proclaimed next, flipping ahead and pointing at random a green blotch on an illustration of Earth. “That’s the moon,” he told Oscar when the tiny hand reached out again. “Her name is Luna. She’s Earth’s friend. See?” Wayne asked, showing how the smiling circles were waving to each other in the picture book.
He told his little brother all about the planet family, talking excitedly whenever Oscar reacted with an inquisitive touch or babble. Wayne loved whenever Oscar spoke, loved getting him to repeat anything he could even if his brother couldn’t really talk right yet. “Sat-turn wears rings like Mom,” Wayne said. “Ju-pit’s big like Dad. You can be baby Pluto.” He flipped to another page where a man waved out of the window of rocket. “That’s a rocket ship. I wanna ride one. You can come too.”
Wayne wanted to talk about everything in the book, but eventually Oscar stopped reaching and pointing and instead started squirming fussily.
“Naptime, Oscar,” Wayne declared when he saw how Oscar eyes were mostly closed. He set his book aside and ran to grab a soft bundle of fabric nearby. “I got blankie for you,” he whispered since mom kept telling him nap time meant quiet time. He carefully hoisted Oscar up and set his brother on the fuzzy square of cloth then picked up his book again. He was too old for naps. Naps were for littlies like Oscar. Wayne smiled proudly. He wasn’t little; Mom said he was big now! He was big brother and Oscar was little brother.
Only he was kind of sleepy too…
And soon enough Wayne was curled up as well, and a few minutes later, two pairs of hands picked up each boy to set them in their proper beds.
Wayne stirred a bit and blinked sleepily as he was tucked in, looking up. “I was teaching Oscar ‘bout space,” he announced drowsily, before closing his eyes again. “I’m gonna teach him lots of stuff.”
“I’m sure you will,” a soft voice replied before placing a kiss on the boy’s face. A hand went to rub his hair and Wayne was fast asleep again.
And his picture book lay on the floor where it had been left, along with many other books. Books about colors and shapes and how to count to ten. Books about space and the ocean and what sounds animals made. Wayne hadn’t taught Oscar about all of them yet. But he would.