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Kikimora cleared her throat, addressing the three scouts. “I understand you’re familiar with the emperor’s nephew?” She gestured to the six-month-old baby tugging on her robe. “The captain put you three forward to look after him.”
“Uh, really?” Keith exchanged a look with Mara and Sebastian. “That’s…great.”
They already lost the baby once, but maybe no one had noticed? Or cared?
The baby looked happy to see them if not grubbier than when they’d first seen him. His dark magenta eyes wide and bright, and his ash-blond hair was messy with some purple goop stuck to the end. There was dirt on his face and his nappy looked full in his blue onesie.
Kikimora hummed, pulling her robe away from the baby. “The emperor has given clear instructions that the boy’s safety is paramount and his development should reach every milestone,” she instructed primly, pulling out a scroll. “A strict diet is to be followed to ensure proper nutrients along with a health elixir to boost immunity. You’ll also be expected to clean, dress, feed, and make sure he attends his lessons with his instructors.”
“Yes, ma’am!” The three of them saluted.
“Um, Ms Kikimora?” Sebastian spoke up hesitantly. “What’s his name?”
“He’s called Hunter.” Kikimora shifted when the baby tried to climb up her robe. “His schedule has been outlined—ah!”
Hunter grabbed onto the back of her robe, clinging on as he tried to stand. “Ga!”
“Get him off!” Kikimora squirmed like the baby was a spider on her back.
The three scouts rushed to pry the baby off her back.
Hunter giggled and drooled over Kikimora’s face. “Mm.”
“Ah!” She cringed when the drool hit her eye. “Take him away!”
Mara picked up the baby who tugged on her mask. “Yes, ma’am.”
Kikimora cringed, wiping away the drool. “Just make sure he doesn’t cause a bother.” She straightened up her robes. “And do not disturb me unless it’s an emergency.”
“Yes, ma’am!” The three scouts replied while Hunter gurgled.
Babies were… exhausting, and he’d drawn the short claw when it came to bath time.
“Hunter, stay still.” Sebastian was trying to bathe the child and it was a nightmare. The rug underneath the small metal tub was soaked thanks to Hunter’s splashing, and so was his scout’s uniform.
“Brr!” Hunter blew raspberries and splashed them in the tub, getting water everywhere.
Sebastian sighed, taking off his gloves and rolling up his sleeves. He conjured up a wooden mouse and gave it to him. “Here, play with this.”
Hunter happily grabbed the mouse and started chewing it, distracted.
The scout quickly squeezed the cloth and started cleaning the muck out of Hunter’s hair and off his face.
“It’s only been a week, was no one cleaning you?” Sebastian muttered, carefully washing the baby’s hair which was dusty and tangled. “I guess everyone else was too busy to look after you, huh?”
Hunter just chewed on the toy mouse while looking up at him. “Mm.”
He knew everyone in the coven was busy but this was the emperor’s nephew, the baby needed proper care, and even if he, Mara, and Keith hadn’t been that good at it, at least they’d tried.
Sebastian conjured up a comb and then tried to detangle his hair as gently as possible. “Can’t say you’re better off with me, but I’ll try.” He used a cup to add more water to his hair. “Not really sure what I’m doing, though.”
Hunter babbled and then touched the coven mark on Sebastian’s arm. “Goo.”
“Yeah, that’s my coven sigil.” Sebastian rinsed out the baby’s hair, slicking the strands back. “You’ll get one too one day when you’re older.” He paused briefly while Hunter looked up at him. “Well, I guess you’re already a part of a coven anyway…”
It only made sense Hunter would join their coven, it might be seen as insulting if the boy went anywhere else since the emperor was his uncle. Still, though, that meant the kid didn’t really have a choice…
He shivered a little for some reason, feeling cold like a hand was creeping around his neck. “If it’s the Titan’s will then it’s fine!” he said with forced cheerfulness, drowning out any doubts. “The Titan knows what’s best for everyone.” He focussed on washing the baby’s hair. “He has a use for everyone and everything.”
Hunter looked up at him with wide eyes and mumbled. “Drr.”
“You’re so lucky, kid,” Sebastian said brightly. “You already know what your future’s going to be like.”
The baby splashed his toy in the water. “Ga!”
“Hey!” Sebastian felt a laugh bubble up in his chest. “Kid, come on.” The baby laughed loudly, making him feel warm. The sound was comforting. “Okay, just wait, bath time is nearly over. Then we can read a story.”
All babies liked stories, right?
Hunter made another mumbling noise, looking cheery as he played with his toy. “Mm.”
Sebastian stared at him for a moment, wondering how something so small was going to be used by the Titan one day…
He quickly stopped thinking about it and smiled under his mask when Hunter tried to chew his hand.
Hunter really did like stories, so much that he wouldn’t go to sleep.
“Kid… please.” Sebastian was exhausted, sitting on the floor, leaning against the crib while Hunter lay on his chest, refusing to sleep. “Just sleep.”
The baby gurgled and chewed on his cloak. “Bah!”
Sebastian shifted, his shoulders stiff and going numb. “It’s time for bed.”
The lights were off in the room so he’d conjured a quiet illusion spell of the night sky to calm the kid down, lullaby music playing in the background.
He tried to lift Hunter off him, but that just triggered a whine. “Wah!” The baby kicked. “WAH!”
“Okay, okay!” Sebastian quickly lowered him back down on his chest. “Calm down.”
Hunter settled instantly, gurgling happily as he drooled.
Sebastian sighed, staying still for a while as Hunter clung to him. “You really are clingy…” He glanced at him as the baby’s eyes closed. “Kid?”
Hunter looked peaceful, starting to sleep.
He carefully tried to lift him off but stopped when the baby whimpered. “Uh…”
The baby slept soundly on his chest, so Sebastian waited until he was fully asleep, the minutes dragging along.
After an hour, he tried to lift Hunter off his chest again, but then the baby stirred and whimpered.
“Oh, come on, I have to head to a guard shift after this – I’m going to get into trouble.” Sebastian groaned, keeping the child on his chest. The kid seemed stubborn though, refusing to be moved. “Fine. You win.”
He stroked the baby’s hair, which was softer now it was clean. His gaze shifted up to the ceiling, yawning as he stared at the illusion of stars. His chest rose and fell while Hunter curled closer to him and fell deeper into sleep.
Sebastian couldn’t keep his eyes open much longer and gradually drifted off to sleep.
It had been nearly over a month since the emperor had introduced his nephew to the coven, who was apparently going to do great things and the Titan had big plans for… even though the boy was a baby.
“Do babies even like mashed worms?” Keith asked while he, Mara, and Sebastian were in the kitchens. The three scouts preparing lunch for the baby.
Sebastian shrugged, mushing up some carrots. “I guess? It’s classed as baby food, and apparently, it has a lot of protein.”
Mara made a gagging noise when one of the worms in the bowl wriggled. “Ugh, it’s so gross. I feel sorry for the kid.”
“He’s a baby, he’ll eat anything,” Keith said, shrugging.
“Actually, he likes carrots the most,” Sebastian said, making a quick fire spell to heat the carrots. “Worms not so much.” He chuckled faintly while Mara and Keith exchanged a look. “You should have seen his face yesterday…” He trailed off when he noticed them looking. “What?”
“You’re sounding…” Mara sighed, taking the bowl of puree carrots. “Uh, mushy again. I like the kid too but try not to get too attached, the captain says we can be reassigned at any time, remember?”
Sebastian fidgeted, looking away. “I know that…” He quickly took the bowls of carrots and then worms. “He’s just a cute kid.” The scout placed the bowls on a tray, along with a bottle of spider milk. “I am not getting attached.”
The scout felt his heart melt when Hunter smiled up at him from his crib, waking up from his nap.
The baby’s big magenta eyes were so cute, and his hair was always so soft and smelt of a smell that only babies smelt like!
The only thing that was odd was the notch in the kid’s left ear.
“Happy to see me, buddy?” Sebastian picked him up and bounced him on his hip. “Did you have a nice nap?”
“Ga!” Hunter tugged on his plague mask.
“Oh, hey, no.” Sebastian gave a strained chuckle when the baby kept trying to take his mask off. “No can do, we’re not allowed to take them off while on duty, those are the rules.” He sighed, holding Hunter’s hand still. “And the emperor always seems to see everything…”
He felt a slight chill and held the baby more protectively.
“Bleh.” Hunter drooled on his cloak, making him relax again.
“You hungry?” Sebastian chuckled, using the end of his cloak to wipe the baby’s mouth.
The baby frowned and chewed the end of the cloak. “Brr.”
“I’ll take that as a yes.” He tickled his stomach, making the baby giggle. “Time for yum-yums.”
The scout laid out some cushions and toys on the rug, and then sat down with Hunter on his lap and the tray of food on the floor next to him.
“Nn!” The baby fussed when Sebastian tried to feed him the mushed up worms first.
“Look I know you don’t like it but you need your protein,” he said, sighing when Hunter turned his face away. “Come on, kid, if you don’t eat it I will.” He pretended to eat the worms. “Oh, wow, this is great!” He made loud chewing noises. “Oh, yeah, fantastic. You’re really missing out.”
Hunter shook his head and then smacked the spoon to the rug. “Nn!”
“Hey,” Sebastian chided as the baby wriggled in his grip. “Buddy, come on, you have to eat.” He picked up the spoon. “Your uncle wants you to grow up big and strong.” He tried to feed him again. “So come on, eat up.”
Hunter refused and kicked, starting to cry. “Wah!” He pounded his small fists on his shoulder. “WAH!”
“Okay, okay, calm down.” He tried to shush him, rocking him. “Fine, we’ll give the worms a miss today.” He picked up the bowl of carrots. “How about carrots? You like carrots.”
Hunter kept crying and whacked the spoon. “Nn!”
Sebastian sighed. “Oh, come on, kid!” He winced when the crying got louder. “Okay, fine.” He placed Hunter on the rug where the baby flailed and had a tantrum. “You’re just going to get tired.” He shook his head and picked up the toy frog. “Froggy’s going to eat all the food.” He pretended to feed the toy the carrots. “Uh, oh. He’s gonna gobble it all!”
Hunter whined, but his crying softened as he looked over, tears sliding down his cheeks. “Nn.” He hiccupped, whining as he tried to grab the frog. “Ga!”
The scout shook his head. “Nuh, uh. You didn’t want it, remember?” He smushed the carrots against the toy’s mouth. “That means Froggy gets to eat all your food.”
Snot leaked from Hunter’s nose, whining as he tried to grab the frog. “Nn!”
Sebastian picked him up and placed him on his lap again. “Come on then.” He fed him some carrots, which Hunter ate while sniffling like a drowned pixie. “You really love to be dramatic, don’t you, kid?”
“Bmbm.” Hunter gurgled, dribbling as he ate.
“You have to eat so you can grow up big and strong,” he repeated, sneaking in some worms with the carrots. “The Titan has big plans for you Hunter. You’re so lucky!” He fed him another spoonful, which he ate somewhat reluctantly. “I wish I was important enough to be chosen like that.”
Hunter gurgled something, sucking on the spoon. “Mm.”
“I’m not special like you,” Sebastian said, giving him a drink of the milk. “I mean I tried being a researcher for the coven, but that failed. Then I nearly set fire to the kitchen so they kicked me out of there, and then I nearly died trying to be a guard in Bonesborough because that Owl Lady showed up.” He sighed, burping the baby. “Following orders seems to be the only thing I’m good at.”
“Brrr.” Hunter tried chewing his cloak again.
“Which I’m grateful for,” Sebastian said, feeding him some more mixed carrots and worms. “The Titan rewards faithful service, and I’m loyal. I believe in the Titan’s will it’s just… I don’t know.” He sighed, feeling uneasy. “It’s just… sometimes I want more, but I don’t know how much I need to keep sacrificing.”
He’d joined the coven ten years ago at sixteen, but he’d dedicated everything to the emperor. All his life revolved around the coven. He barely spoke to his family anymore or left the castle except for missions. He couldn’t even remember when he’d last had a day off.
Just how much more did the Titan want him to sacrifice?
Sebastian’s shoulders slumped, feeling exhausted like something was weighing down on him.
Hunter tugged on the nose of his mask, bringing him back to the present. “Ga.”
“Oh, sorry, buddy!” He gave a nervous laugh. “Must have zoned out of there for a second.” He fed him the last of the food. “Don’t mind me, I’m just rambling. Being in service to the emperor and carrying out the Titan’s will is its own reward.” He gave another laugh but it felt a little hysterical like he was losing grip of something. “It’s what makes the world a better place!”
The baby gurgled and tugged on the metal triangular clasp of his cloak. “Moo.”
Sebastian hummed. “You know, it’s nice being able to talk to you, kid.” He smoothed his soft blond hair back. “Mara and Keith would just judge me and tell me to shut up or something.” He sighed, pulling the baby into a hug. “But you won’t judge me, and you can’t tell me to shut up! So it’ a win-win.”
Hunter mumbled some gibberish and tugged on his clasp. “Mm.”
Sebastian chuckled. “Come on, let’s get you changed.” He stood up. “I need to get you down to your instructor so she can try to teach you how to count.”
The baby kicked the air. “Ga!”
“I know it’s boring.” He gave him some bread to chew on. “But it means I can show you around the castle later, and that’ll be fun.”
Hunter tried to touch everything while in his baby carrier.
“Hey, don’t touch, kid.” Sebastian stopped him, adjusting the grey baby carrier around his chest.
The baby tried to pull the leaves off the unicorn bush. “Ga!”
He chuckled, patting his head. “Yeah, it’s a unicorn bush.”
“Mm.” Hunter tried to pull some more leaves off, but Sebastian quickly moved along.
“Come on.” He laughed and walked down the hallway, it was nearly approaching late afternoon which meant most of the scouts would be on the east side of the castle so the west side was emptier. “Perfect for a baby tour!”
Hunter smiled up at him and tugged on his hood. “Da.”
“Boop.” Sebastian tapped his nose. “Wanna see something cool?”
The baby chewed on his hand. “Brr.”
“I’ll take that as a yes,” he replied brightly, turning a corner. “Take a look at this.” He came to the giant stained glass window. “Pretty cool right?”
Hunter gurgled and tried to touch the window. “Ga!”
Sebastian gently held his hand to stop him from touching. “Fingerprints are really hard to get off.”
The baby gurgled, reaching out at the giant stained glass window showing a tall figure of the emperor producing magic while the witches bowed at his feet. “Un…”
Sebastian grew excited. “Are you trying to say uncle?”
Hunter mumbled some more gibberish, chewing on his hand. “Um.”
“That’s your uncle.” Sebastian pointed at the stained glass image. “Can you say uncle?”
The baby gurgled, kicking the air. “Um… da.” He touched Sebastian’s mask. “Dun.”
“Okay, maybe later then.” He sighed, adjusting the sling. “What about Sebastian?” He felt something stir in his chest. “Can you say Sebastian? Or Seb?”
Hunter gurgled, chewing his fingers as he looked up at him. “Grr.”
“Seba-stian,” he tried to slow it down. “Come on, can you say that? Sss?”
“Sss,” Hunter hissed, smiling. “Sss.”
Sebastian chuckled. “Yeah, that’s it. Sss-ah-bas-tee-an.”
“Sss.” The baby drooled. “Sss.”
“Come on.” He nodded encouragingly. “Ss—"
“Sebastian…” Mara sounded concerned from behind him. “Are you wearing a baby carrier?”
“Uh…” Sebastian tensed, hands covering Hunter protectively. “It’s just…” He turned around and gave an uneasy laugh when he saw Mara and Keith staring at him. “It makes it easier to carry him, okay?” he said defensively. “Besides, I managed to find one cheap on the crystal globe and it was a really great deal, so it would have been stupid not to get it!”
Mara buried her face in her hand. “Sebastian…”
Keith sighed, shaking his head. “Oh, Titan, you’ve got it bad.”
He stepped back, holding the baby tight. “Look, I like spending time with the kid, there’s nothing wrong with that.”
“I mean, it’s kind of creepy when it’s not your kid,” Keith commented.
Sebastian winced, ducking his head. “No, it’s not…”
It wasn’t like he thought of Hunter as his son or anything, maybe a little brother… that wasn’t weird.
“Why are you showing him around the castle anyway?” Mara asked. “He’s too young to understand.”
“That’s not true.” Sebastian grew defensive. “He does understand, and he’s smart too.” He turned back to the stained glass window. “Look, kid, who’s that?”
“Ga!” Hunter gurgled, trying to touch the glass. “Mm.”
“It’s your uncle,” he said sweetly. “Go on, say uncle.”
“Umm.” The baby babbled, chewing his hand. “Unn.”
“Yeah, it’s your uncle.” Sebastian pointed at the regal figure of the emperor. “Uncle.”
“Un-le.” Hunter dribbled, chewing his foot.
Sebastian bounced him. “Come on.”
Keith sighed. “Sebastian…”
“What?” He grew more defensive. “Kikimora said we had to look after him, and that’s exactly what I’m doing.”
Mara sighed again, and used the end of her cloak to wipe Hunter’s mouth. “We just don’t want you getting hurt when you have to leave him.” She stroked the baby’s head. “He’s going to grow up soon and then he won’t need us.”
Sebastian’s shoulders hunched, lowering his gaze. “I know that…” He quickly tried to stay positive. “But, the emperor rewards dedication, remember?” He bounced Hunter up and down. “So, I’m just doing the best job I can for this little guy.”
The baby giggled as he was bounced up and down. “Da!”
Mara sighed. “Just… be prepared, alright?” She crossed her arms. “We serve the emperor and the Titan’s will above all else.”
Sebastian tensed a little, holding Hunter close. “Yes, I know. I haven’t forgotten that.” He gave a strained laugh. “Come on, why are you guys so serious? You’re gonna upset him.”
Keith gave a small laugh. “True.” He ruffled the baby’s head. “If you wanted to show him something interesting you should show him the statues!”
Mara whacked him. “Uh, no. That’s weird and creepy.”
“Well, it’s not like they’re really dead,” Keith said, shrugging.
She shivered. “That makes it worse.”
Sebastian shrugged. “Yeah, but they deserve it, remember?”
“I guess.” Mara rubbed her arms. “Still creepy, though…”
Keith remained unbothered, starting to walk down the hall. “It’s fine, besides it’ll be like the scary stories you tell kids to get them to behave.”
“We’re not scaring him,” Sebastian said firmly, cradling Hunter protectively against his chest.
“How about we just take him to the kitchen’s instead?” Mara suggested. “We can use him to get extra portions from the cook – she loves babies.”
Sebastian liked that idea better. “What do you think, buddy?” He tickled Hunter’s nose. “Want to use your cuteness to bribe the cook?”
The baby giggled, bouncing in his carrier.
“Let’s take that as a yes,” Mara said, chuckling. “Come on.”
Hunter was finally drifting off to sleep in his baby carrier, as the sunset in the evening, which meant he’d be able to make his next guard shift on time at this rate.
Sebastian hummed a quiet lullaby as he walked through the castle past the stained glass windows which were lit up by the torches.
The castle was the most amazing and beautiful place he’d ever been in, and he could remember first being given a tour when he was fourteen. Kikimora hadn’t been in the coven back then, but Lilith had.
The way she’d told the history of the isles had been great, and he knew right from then this was where he belonged.
He paused at a window that displayed witches from the savage age dancing around a fire. He stared at it for a long time, wondering how they could look so happy when they were practising corrupt knowledge. Or maybe they just didn’t care? Either way, they were dead or turned to stone now…
Sebastian stroked Hunter’s head as the baby slept, feeling a rise of protectiveness. “That won’t happen to you, buddy,” he said softly, staring at the image in the glass. “The Titan has a purpose for you.”
“Yes, he does.”
Sebastian nearly screamed at the ominous whisper from behind him, wrapping his arms around the baby protectively.
Then, like he’d appeared from the shadows, Emperor Belos was stood behind him, eyes glowing blue in the dark from behind his mask.
“E-emperor!” He quickly knelt, causing Hunter to stir.
The emperor was talking to him and standing right there!
He didn’t know whether to feel excited or terrified.
The emperor tilted his head, staring down at him. “I was looking for my nephew.” He gestured for him to rise. “It’s quite overdue I spent some time with him.”
“Oh, yes, of course.” Sebastian stroked Hunter’s hair back. “I was just giving him a tour to wear him out since it’s hard to get him to sleep and…” He trailed off when the emperor just stared at him. “Nevermind.”
The emperor regarded him for a moment like a spider eyeing a fly. “Hm.” There was a clink of metal as his glove tugged on the strap of the baby sling. “Yes, I can see you’re taking your duties very seriously.”
Sebastian’s chest tightened a little when he heard a hint of mocking in the emperor’s tone. “The Titan has a purpose for him.” He kept his gaze low. “He needs to be protected.”
The emperor hummed, unfastening the tie of the baby carrier. “Yes.” He easily slipped Hunter out of the carrier and into his arms. “Of course.”
“Mm.” Hunter stirred, whining as he was transferred into his uncle’s arms.
The emperor traced his nephew’s cheek with the sharp claw of his glove. “He’s so special.”
Hunter whimpered in his sleep when the emperor pressed the edge of the talon into his cheek.
Sebastian’s skin prickled uneasily for some reason, arms twitching to reach out and grab the baby back.
“He fusses a lot,” he said before he could stop himself. “He might wake up and cry.”
Emperor Belos gave him a look that made him shrink a little. “That’s nothing to concern yourself with.” His voice was light but sharp at the edge. “I admire your loyalty but you mustn’t lose focus on your other duties, Sebastian.”
The hair on the back of his neck stood up. “You know my name?”
“Of course.” The emperor chuckled, the sound oddly lighthearted, surprising him a little. “What kind of emperor would I be if I didn’t take notice of my most loyal?” He shifted his cloak to cover Hunter a little when the baby stirred. “It’s the type of loyalty we need to carry out the Titan’s will.” He placed a regal hand on his shoulder, making him tense. “Which is why you can be trusted to help raise my nephew to respect the Titan and magic properly.”
Sebastian’s eyes widened, his heart hammering against his chest, adrenaline pumping through his veins from fear and awe that the emperor was speaking so highly of him and even touching his shoulder.
The emperor trusted him to help raise Hunter properly.
The Titan recognised his loyalty.
The emperor valued him!
“I… of course!” He struggled to form a proper sentence. “That’s what I was trying to tell the others.” He stumbled over his words. “Hunter is so important we have to raise him right.”
“Yes, exactly.” The emperor’s voice was soothing, like an old grandfather which was such a strange contrast to how he seemed on the outside, but it was also comforting. “The Titan favours the obedient, you should be honoured.”
“I am,” Sebastian replied quickly, but his stomach still twisted when Hunter disappeared under the emperor’s cloak.
The emperor removed his hand and turned away from him. “Then I’ll relieve you to attend to your other duties.”
Sebastian’s arm twitch, that uneasy feeling returning like he could hear the beating heart of the Titan from the walls.
Hunter made a small whimpering sound as the emperor walked away, the small noise echoing and piercing Sebastian’s skin like a hot needle.
For a second he lifted his hand and tried to say something, but the words died on his tongue.
The Titan favoured obedience.
He lowered his arm and stayed silent as the emperor disappeared into the shadows with Hunter, out of sight.
He hadn’t been able to sleep that night for some reason.
Sebastian had practically shoved Keith out of the way in the morning and told him he’d take the first babysitting shift.
Not because he was worried because Hunter was fine. The emperor clearly loved his nephew, why else would he reiterate how special the boy was and how much the baby needed to be protected.
He hurried into the baby’s bedroom and may have let out a relieved sigh after seeing Hunter fast asleep in his crib. Not a scratch on him or a hair out of place.
Everything was fine.
Sebastian almost laughed in relief, hands shaking a little. “Everything’s fine.” He gently shook Hunter’s shoulder. “Come on, kid, time to wake up.”
The baby stirred, shifting in the crib. “Mm.” His face scrunched up. “Umm.” Tears filled his eyes like he was scared. “Nn.”
“Oh, hey.” Sebastian quickly picked him up. “No, ssh, it’s okay. Don’t cry. Did you have a bad dream?” He comforted him, rocking him. “Hey, come on, buddy, that’s not a good way to start the day.”
Hunter whimpered, resting his head on his chest. “Nn.”
He wiped some tears from the baby’s cheeks. “Hey, don’t cry. Nothing’s going to hurt you while you’re with me, okay?” His orders were to keep the baby safe and the Titan favoured obedience, so he couldn’t get in trouble for following his orders. “Everything’s okay.”
The baby hiccupped and whined, crying quietly. “Mm.”
“I’ll protect you,” Sebastian murmured, trying to ignore the pit in his stomach when he thought about the emperor. “Everything’s fine…”
Hunter eventually stopped crying, staying curled up on his chest. “Drr.”
He took a deep breath and smiled. “Let’s go see Mara and Keith for breakfast, hm?” He took the baby over to the changing table. “Then you can have playtime.” He undid his onesie and changed his nappy. “That sounds fun, right?”
Hunter gurgled and reached up for his mask, trying to pull it off. “Seba.”
Sebastian froze and felt his blood run cold. “I…” He felt something wonderful fill his chest only to be drowned out by something horrible.
“Sss!” Hunter smiled up at him and clapped. “Seba!”
“Yeah.” He smiled under his mask, removing his glove to hold the baby’s small hand. “That’s me.”
Hunter gripped his fingers tight and smiled brightly.