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In hindsight, Sam should’ve set some ground rules about running in the house before Punz started running around the house. The brunette was trying to get some studying in for a big midterm at his kitchen island while the blonde was running rampant around the house, accomplishing who knows what.
The first time Punz zipped around Sam, the mentally older boy thought it was funny, he was glad that Punz was having fun. The second time Punz zipped around him, Sam was getting kind of annoyed. The last thing Sam wanted was for Punz to knock something over. The next time Punz zipped around Sam, the brunette grabbed his arm.
“Can you stop running around the house, bud?”, Sam asked gently, thinking that it was the right tone to use in order for Punz to take him seriously, but not enough for Punz to be scared of Sam. “I don’t want you to knock something over, and I’m trying to study so I can’t watch you closely.” Punz huffed but nodded.
Sam went back to his studying, and Punz went to do something else. About 5 minutes later, Sam heard the thumping noise of Punz running around the house again, but before Sam could yell at Punz, he heard the awful noise of something breaking, a pot specifically. It was a pot that held a plant that his mother had gotten him when he first moved into his apartment . Sam immediately got up from his seat to see where the commotion was coming from.
“Punz, what happened?”, Sam asked, anger evident in his voice. Punz tried to hold back tears as he looked up from the broken pot up to Sam. “What happened? I thought I told you not to run in the house.” Punz shrugged. “I think this calls for a timeout.”
“No!”, Punz screamed, stomping his foot, and instantly regretting it. Sam honestly didn’t know what to do. He’d never had to put a Little in timeout before, he didn’t know how to do it well. Carefully, Sam grabbed Punz and led him over to a corner of the living room.
“10 minutes, okay?”, Sam said. Punz furrowed his eyebrows together and crossed his arms. 10 minutes later, Sam walked back over to the corner and saw that Punz was having some sort of anxiety attack. “Punzie, what happened, buddy?” Sam thought fast and wrapped his arms around Punz tightly.
The pressure and sensory stimulation were enough to help Punz feel a little better. After a couple minutes, Sam carried Punz out to the kitchen, setting him on the counter.
“Stay here, honey”, Sam said gently. He went over to the fridge and took out the milk, then he grabbed the chocolate syrup, making Punz some chocolate milk. Sam put a straw in the glass and held it out to Punz who took a sip, then Sam decided to try something he saw online. “Punzie, sweetheart, could you tell me 5 things that you see?” Punz sniffled.
“P-papa, ‘indow, da f-f’oor, glass, an’… w-wawl?”, Punz stuttered. Sam smiled softly.
“Good”, he replied. “Now, can you name 4 things that you can touch? You can use repeats.”
“P-papa, glass, P-papa hoo’ie, an’ da c-coun’er”, Punz said. Sam smiled again.
“Very good, buddy, you’re very smart”, he replied, which made Punz smile softly. “Now can you tell me 3 things that you can hear? Again, you can repeat anything you’ve already said.”
“P-papa, wind b’owin’, an’ da ‘frigerata”, Punz said, his sniffles slowing down.
“Very nice”, Sam replied. “Now, 2 things you can smell?”
“…Papa an’ chocky milk”, Punz said.
“I’m so proud of you, Punzie”, Sam said. “Now, one last thing, what’s one thing you can taste?” Punz smiled softly again, and looked down at his glass of chocolate milk.
“Chocky milk”, he whispered.
“Awesome”, Sam replied. “Now, can we talk about what happened or not yet?” Punz shrugged, sipping his chocolate milk. “Alright, we don’t have to talk about it.”
“Papa mad at me?”, Punz whispered. Sam shook his head.
“I’m not mad at you, Punzie”, he replied. “I put you in timeout because I asked you not to run, and you continued to run anyway. I did not put you in timeout because you broke the flower pot. I know that was an accident.” Punz nodded.
“...was scawed”, he mumbled. “..thought Papa big mad at me fo’ b’eakin’ da pot. Thought Papa weavin’ ‘unzie.”
“Punzie, I made a promise to you”, Sam replied. “I would never ever leave you, never. Especially not over something as stupid as breaking a flower pot.”
“…no stop runnin’”, Punz sniffled. “Was told ta stop.”
“I understand you were having fun, little bee”, Sam replied. “But now you know for next time, right?” Punz nodded. “That’s all that matters, little guy.” Punz smiled softly up at him.
“Wittle guy”, he parroted. Sam noticed that whenever he tried a new nickname on Punzie, the Little would always repeat it, testing how the name sounded on his own tongue. Sam smiled.
“You like that name, do you?”, he asked. Punz nodded.
“Papa wittle guy?”, the Little asked, smiling and looking Sam up and down.
“I’m not a ‘little guy’, Punzie”, Sam replied, chuckling. “Your Papa is a big guy.” Punz giggled.
“Papa?”, Punz asked after a while. “W’at ta do?”
“What to do?”, Sam asked, unsure what Punz meant. Punz nodded.
“No run in da hou’se”, the blonde replied. “Now w’at do?”
“Well… we can watch cartoons if you want”, Sam suggested. Punz nodded excitedly.
“Yeah! Can watch ‘toons?”, the blonde asked sweetly.
“Yeah, buddy”, Sam replied. “I have some studying to do, but I’ll go in the living room with you so you have someone to watch cartoons with.” Punz smiled as Sam lifted him off of the counter. Sam walked into the living room, with Punz following closely behind him, and turned on the tv to some ‘Bluey’. “Alright, Punzie, let me just grab my stuff then I’ll be right back.” Punz nodded and climbed up onto the couch.
“Papa?”, Punz asked when Sam came back and sat next to him on the couch. Sam looked over at him. “I wove ‘ou.” Sam smiled.
“I love you too, little guy.”