❛ BABY BROTHER ❜

❪ SUMMARY ❫ ── miles begs dxtr for a baby brother.

❪ DATE ❫ ── october 2024

❪ WORD COUNT ❫ ── 628 words

"i'm sorry," dexter spluttered, his eyes widening in disbelief. "you want a what?"

"a baby brother," miles pouted, his lower lip jutting out in a stubborn expression.

dexter knelt down to be at eye level with his son, feeling a mixture of surprise and embarrassment. "why do you want a baby brother?" he asked, trying to keep his tone light despite his discomfort.

"because gayoung just got a baby brother, and i want one too!" miles exclaimed enthusiastically, bouncing on the balls of his feet with unchecked energy. "why can't i have one?"

dexter could feel his face flushing with embarrassment at the unexpected request. "baby, i don't know how to give you a baby brother," he said slowly, trying to choose his words carefully. "but congratulations to gayoung for getting one," he added awkwardly, patting miles' shoulder.

miles stomped his foot petulantly and shrugged off dexter's hand, turning to walk purposefully towards jaehyun and james who were sitting on the couch in the living room. "unc' jae, unc' jamie, daddy won't give me a brother!" he announced loudly as he climbed onto jaehyun's lap. "change his mind!"

jaehyun chuckled, trying to hide his amusement behind a smile. "give the kid a brother, man," he said, giving dexter a teasing glance. james, on the other hand, burst into laughter, clutching his stomach as he doubled over on the couch.

"yeah!" miles chimed in, his pout deepening as he crossed his arms defiantly.

dexter shot his friends a pleading look, silently begging them for help. "can you not encourage him?" he hissed under his breath, his cheeks burning with embarrassment. he stood behind the couch, one hand gripping the backrest tightly and the other resting heavily on jaehyun's shoulder.

with jaehyun's assistance, miles managed to stand up on jaehyun's legs, staring at dexter with a mixture of defiance and curiosity. "what does that mean?" he demanded, his head tilted to the side in confusion.

dexter sighed inwardly, feeling the weight of the conversation settling heavily on his shoulders. "it means," he began cautiously, "that i can't physically, scientifically, or biologically give you a baby brother."

miles furrowed his brows, clearly struggling to comprehend dexter's explanation. "then where did i come from?" he asked, turning to look at jaehyun and james for answers.

james burst into laughter again, unable to contain himself as he rolled on the couch, tears streaming down his face. jaehyun bit his lip and turned away, trying to suppress his own laughter.

dexter closed his eyes briefly, mentally preparing himself for the inevitable conversation. "miles, sweetheart, you came from your mother," he explained gently, his heart breaking a little as he saw the confusion in miles' eyes. "and you know mommy and i don't get along."

"mama is mean," miles agreed solemnly, nodding his head in understanding.

"yes, and without a mommy, i can't give you a baby brother or sister," dexter continued softly, watching as realization slowly dawned on miles' face. "do you understand what i'm saying?"

miles nodded slowly, his earlier enthusiasm dampened by the weight of dexter's words. "i think so," he replied quietly.

dexter reached out to ruffle miles' hair affectionately, his heart aching at the disappointment in his son's eyes. "believe me, in the future, you'll have a little sibling," he promised gently. "just not right now."

"when's the future?" miles asked, his voice tinged with a hint of longing.

"we've got time, buddy," dexter reassured him with a small smile, hoping to lift miles' spirits.

miles let out a small huff and crawled off jaehyun's lap, retreating to his bedroom with a heavy heart.

dexter turned back to jaehyun and james, who were both staring at him with raised eyebrows. "what?" he asked defensively. "why are you two looking at me like that?"

"when are you going to tell miles that his future stepmom is pregnant with the sibling he's been begging for?" james asked, his voice laced with amusement.

dexter felt his face heat up with embarrassment, his mind racing to find the right words. "i, uh, well... um..." he stuttered, feeling completely unprepared for the question.

"are you seriously going to tell him the baby fairy magically dropped one off?" jaehyun teased gently, trying to lighten the mood.

"and what will he think when i move out to make room for the new baby?" james added, his tone teasing yet concerned.

dexter took a deep breath, trying to gather his thoughts amidst the teasing and laughter. "first of all," he began, regaining his composure, "miles and the new baby will share a room, so no one is moving out anytime soon. and secondly, we're keeping it quiet for now because miles isn't ready to process the wedding-how do you think he'll handle this?"

"he loves georgina," james pointed out. "i think he'll be excited."

dexter sighed softly, shaking his head slightly. "he sees me as his only parent, no matter how much he loves her," he explained quietly. "he's not ready for someone else to come into the picture."

"that makes sense," jaehyun murmured sympathetically.

"not to me," james disagreed. "it's amazing how kids' minds work."

"i'm not going to dismiss a four-year-old's feelings," dexter insisted firmly. "anyway, i need to go pick up my fiancée from work. please, don't let miles have any sugar while i'm gone."

"bye, dexie," james called out with a grin as dexter left the room, leaving behind a cloud of laughter and unanswered questions.