"how about this one, baby?"

josh holds up a bottle of purple nail polish, showing it off. tyler, who is currently kneeling before the display, looks up. he shakes his head.

"no, don't like it."

"this one?"

josh holds up another color, a lighter shade of purple this time. tyler shakes his head again, turning his attention back to the assortment in front of him.

"i dunno, daddy. can't we get 'em all?"

the older smiles to himself, knowing this is exactly what was going to happen. he kneels next to tyler, pointing at a blue color now. "this one is pretty. how about this one?"

"nooo," tyler whines. he carefully collects an assortment of colors, holding at least five nail polishes in each hand. "we get these ones?"

"you can't pick your favorite out of them?" josh teases. he holds out his hands and tyler carefully dumps the polishes onto them.

"no daddy, look it. you's hands so big they can hold more!" tyler giggles, quickly placing more into the pile before josh can protest.

he just stands there and lets tyler pick out however many colors he wants, even though each one is like two dollars. that's not counting the glittery ones which are even more. by the time they ring up everything, tyler insists he needs a candy bar too and throws it on the scanner last second.

josh scans the kit-kat bar and hands it back to tyler, paying the total of almost fifty dollars. he doesn't complain though. tyler was promised whatever nail polish color he wanted, and now he's getting them. all 20 something of them.

🍼🍯🍼

"okay," josh sighs contently, having just finished setting each bottle in one row by color. "which color do you want on your nails?"

"hmmm... all?"

"you only have ten fingers, ty," josh chuckles. "you little cutie. do you want ten different colors?"

"no, no, no... dis one."

tyler grabs the bottle between his thumb and index finger and shows off the pale yellow color. he spins it between his fingers, eyeing it carefully.

"yes, dis one."

josh moves the polishes to one side of the coffee table. he tells tyler to sit on one side and he sits on the opposite. the little carefully places his hand in josh's, giggling when his first finger is only half-way finished.

"what's so funny, hm?"

"gon' look pwetty," tyler tells him, grinning. "i's excited!"

"but you're already pretty," josh counters. he bites his lip, concentrating on trying not to get nail polish on anything other than tyler's nails. it's really hard when his hands won't stop shaking, but he manages to make the first hand look decent. "okay, switch."

when all ten fingernails are painted yellow, josh gently takes both hands in his own and blows across each nail. tyler watches quietly, a little grin adorning his face. the older taps each nail softly, something he learned from his sister, and finally decides they're dry.

"daddy's turn?" tyler smiles innocently, gazing at josh quietly until the man finally agrees.

"what color?"

"dis one!" the little exclaims, picking a white one out of the pile.

josh eyes it a bit fearfully. there's nothing wrong with boys painting their nails, of course, he's just a bit intimidated by the loud color choice. if it's what his baby wants, though, then it's what his baby gets.

he holds his hand out for tyler, who giggles and kisses the top of it. "gon' make you look pwetty, too!"

"i'm not pretty already?" josh fake pouts, making tyler gasp.

"yes you is, daddy!"

"i'm just kidding, cutie. please be careful and try not to get it everywhere."

"yes, daddy," tyler responds like the angel he is. he bites his tongue, the soft flesh poking past pink lips as he furrows his eyebrows.

it takes the little much longer than it took josh, but he's okay with that. he can tell tyler is trying his best to "stay in the lines" as the little had said. minutes later, josh's nails are the brightest white possible.

tyler claps excitedly. "yay!"

"all done? you aren't gonna blow on them?"

the clapping ceases as the boy quickly snatches josh's hands back. he blows on them forcefully, wanting the polish to just dry already so him and his daddy can watch a movie and cuddle.

"i think that's good, baby," josh says a few minutes later, chuckling at how out of breath tyler is.

"good," tyler hums contently. "now, daddy, p'ease we watch lion king and cuddle?"

"of course, ty. i can't say no to such a polite little boy, now can i?"

"nuh uh," the brunette shakes his head, giggling as josh ruffles his hair.

"want snacks first?"

"no, just wan' daddy."

"no thumper and penny?"

"and thumpy n' penny," tyler smiles sheepishly, watching his daddy leave to retrieve the stuffies.

josh returns with one in each hand. he starts the movie before joining his little on the couch, being careful not to bump his nails because he knows for a fact they aren't dry yet. tyler layered so much polish on, they probably won't dry for another thirty minutes.

his cell phone starts ringing, but luckily he left it on the coffee table so he doesn't have to dig it out of his pocket. it's his brother, jordan.

"hello?" he answers.

"hey, josh! what's up?"

"hanging with tyler."

the little one perks up at the mention of his name, looking to josh in confusion. the older notices, putting his brother on speaker so tyler can listen.

"oh, sweet. how long have you guys been together again?"

"five months," josh says.

"almost six!" tyler announces, smiling before turning his full attention back to the lion king.

"wow. longest relationship you've ever been in, yeah?" jordan teases, laughing when josh mutters for him to shut up. "i'm just playing. but hey, i was thinking. it's been almost six months and i haven't met your boyfriend yet. would you guys want to come over for dinner tomorrow?"

tyler's head snaps back to josh, little eyes wide with fear. he shakes his head quickly, frowning.

"uh, would you like to come to my place instead? tyler doesn't do so well in new environments with people he doesn't know," josh explains, returning the tiny smile that tyler gives him.

"oh, yeah, sure. that's no problem. what time do you want me over?"

"i have to work until five tomorrow, so anytime after that." tyler whines upon hearing such information. josh looks at him and whispers, "you have to work too, little one."

that only makes him whine more.

"okay, sounds good. should i bring anything, or?"

"no, don't worry about it. i have enough food to feed at least three hungry toddlers."

tyler giggles, knowing josh is referring to him and his friends.

"alright, man," jordan chuckles. "i'll see you tomorrow then. bye!"

"bye."

josh sets his phone back on the table, turning to lay on the couch so tyler can lay on top of him. the brunette hugs both stuffies in one arm, the other wrapped around josh's.

"daddy?" he says, eyes glued to the tv.

"yes, hon?"

"i's 'fraid to meet jo'dan..."

"don't be afraid, ty. i just... i don't really know how he'll react to everything," he says softly. he lifts the hem of tyler's shirt, trailing his (hopefully) dry fingernails across the little's back.

"i's gotsta be a big boy?"

josh thinks about it for a minute. "honestly, baby? i think you probably should. i'm sorry. i know it's going to be hard."

"s'okay, daddy," tyler offers a smile, trying to reassure him. "i still call you daddy?"

"how about when jordan is over you call me joshie. does that sound okay?"

tyler pouts but nods anyway, returning his head to josh's chest and his eyes to the tv.

"i'm sorry, ty."

"s'okay. i gotsa 'nother question."

"yeah?"

"well, s'not a question... i'on want mufasa to die."

josh only smiles, kissing the top of his head tenderly. he's sure tyler is going to start crying the moment simba finds mufasa dead, but he's ready to give the boy endless hugs and kisses until the tears go away—something he secretly worries he'll have to do tomorrow too.

__a/n__

IM SO EXCITED FOR LION KING!!!! i cant wait to watch it with my bf 😌