Lessons
Title: Lessons
Prompt: Falling
Medium: Fic
Rating: PG
Warnings: None
Summary: Kris is home alone with the boys when Kaleb takes a tumble, and he has to comfort both him and Jesse.
Kris was busy at the stove, trying to get dinner on the table when he heard Kaleb crying.
"What's going on out there?" he asked, feeling like his mom. Splitting your attention between making lasagna and two kids was a tough job. He hoped Katy would be home soon.
Jesse walked into the kitchen, carrying Kaleb, who continued to wail.
"What happened?" he pressed.
"Nothing, I got it," Jesse insisted, opening the freezer and extracting a bag of peas expertly. He pressed them to the back of Kaleb's head.
"I fall, Daddy!" Kaleb sobbed.
And just like that, Kris turned the heat down on the stove, turning his attention to his boys. He gathered Kaleb into his arms and gave him a kiss. "Where did you fall? Show me?" Kris asked, carrying Kaleb into the living room where the boys were playing.
But Kaleb had buried his face in Kris's shoulder.
"What happened, Jess? Did you see?" Kris pressed. He was already examining the back of Kaleb's head for a goose egg, or any indication that he might need to go into the hospital.
"I can take him," Jesse insisted, his voice low and cautious. He stood like his body was braced for a blow - or like he was ready for a fight. And that gave Kris pause.
Sometimes he forgot that 8-year-old Jesse didn't come from an ideal situation. He was Kris's son, there was no doubt, but he was also still a child in foster care - who didn't always know what to expect. Kris already knew he had been put in charge of his own younger siblings, and had endured abuse and neglect at the hands of the people who were supposed to love him.
"Listen to me," Kris said, pulling Jesse onto his lap to sit with Kaleb. He came stiffly. "You guys aren't in trouble, okay? I just need to know what happened, so I can figure out how to best help Kaleb, okay? When kids bump their heads, it can be serious."
Jesse bit his lip, thinking. He had been here a while, and Kris and Katy were pretty okay, but he still didn't know for sure what would happen if he admitted he hadn't been watching Kaleb closely, or holding onto him that good.
Kaleb was only sniffling, and appeared to be okay.
Kris just waited while Jesse appeared deep in thought.
"...He kinda tipped over," Jesse finally whispered. "I was moving all the army men to another base, and I just forgot to hold onto him."
Watching Jesse swallow back his fear and tip his chin, Kris asked "Where did he hit his head?"
"The living room..." Jesse answered, getting frustrated. Was Kris paying attention at all.
Kris took a deep breath, "Okay. Where in the living room?"
"By the kitchen, kind of. He fell back and hit the wall..."
"Did you hit the wall?" Kris asked Kaleb in a sad voice.
"Yes. I do," Kaleb pouted.
"I know what will make you feel better..." Kris answered secretively. "Mama's bringin' home special dessert."
"Ice cream?" Kaleb asked, his brown eyes wide.
"I don't know. You'll have to eat your dinner and see..." Kris said, checking out Kaleb's head a final time. "Well, I think you'll be okay, kiddo."
"Yes! I okay now! 'Cause I want peshul dessert," Kaleb nodded.
Kris carried him out to the kitchen and set him in the high chair. He gave him a fork, a spoon, a plate and a napkin and asked if he could figure out where they all went. He may have only been two, but he was smart. And, Kris figured, the more involved his kids were in household chores, the less he and Katy would have to do.
Then, he focused on Jesse, who was still sitting where Kris had left him in the living room, staring at the carpet.
"Hey, Jesse? Come out here, I wanna show you something about cooking. It's a secret, so you can't tell Katy," he continued, keeping his tone light so Jesse would understand it wasn't a bad secret.
Jesse came closer, curious, but silent.
"You wanna know how to know for sure if a noodle's done?" Kris asked quietly. He didn't need Kaleb overhearing this, either.
Jesse nodded slowly.
So, Kris plucked a lasagna noodle out of the pot, and made sure it was cool enough to handle. Then, he threw it up against the side of the cabinet.
It stuck.
"Cool... Where'd you learn that?" Jesse asked, impressed.
"This Italian cooking show. The lady on it taught me," he confided.
And when Jesse laughed, Kris considered it a small victory.
Prompt: Falling
Medium: Fic
Rating: PG
Warnings: None
Summary: Kris is home alone with the boys when Kaleb takes a tumble, and he has to comfort both him and Jesse.
Kris was busy at the stove, trying to get dinner on the table when he heard Kaleb crying.
"What's going on out there?" he asked, feeling like his mom. Splitting your attention between making lasagna and two kids was a tough job. He hoped Katy would be home soon.
Jesse walked into the kitchen, carrying Kaleb, who continued to wail.
"What happened?" he pressed.
"Nothing, I got it," Jesse insisted, opening the freezer and extracting a bag of peas expertly. He pressed them to the back of Kaleb's head.
"I fall, Daddy!" Kaleb sobbed.
And just like that, Kris turned the heat down on the stove, turning his attention to his boys. He gathered Kaleb into his arms and gave him a kiss. "Where did you fall? Show me?" Kris asked, carrying Kaleb into the living room where the boys were playing.
But Kaleb had buried his face in Kris's shoulder.
"What happened, Jess? Did you see?" Kris pressed. He was already examining the back of Kaleb's head for a goose egg, or any indication that he might need to go into the hospital.
"I can take him," Jesse insisted, his voice low and cautious. He stood like his body was braced for a blow - or like he was ready for a fight. And that gave Kris pause.
Sometimes he forgot that 8-year-old Jesse didn't come from an ideal situation. He was Kris's son, there was no doubt, but he was also still a child in foster care - who didn't always know what to expect. Kris already knew he had been put in charge of his own younger siblings, and had endured abuse and neglect at the hands of the people who were supposed to love him.
"Listen to me," Kris said, pulling Jesse onto his lap to sit with Kaleb. He came stiffly. "You guys aren't in trouble, okay? I just need to know what happened, so I can figure out how to best help Kaleb, okay? When kids bump their heads, it can be serious."
Jesse bit his lip, thinking. He had been here a while, and Kris and Katy were pretty okay, but he still didn't know for sure what would happen if he admitted he hadn't been watching Kaleb closely, or holding onto him that good.
Kaleb was only sniffling, and appeared to be okay.
Kris just waited while Jesse appeared deep in thought.
"...He kinda tipped over," Jesse finally whispered. "I was moving all the army men to another base, and I just forgot to hold onto him."
Watching Jesse swallow back his fear and tip his chin, Kris asked "Where did he hit his head?"
"The living room..." Jesse answered, getting frustrated. Was Kris paying attention at all.
Kris took a deep breath, "Okay. Where in the living room?"
"By the kitchen, kind of. He fell back and hit the wall..."
"Did you hit the wall?" Kris asked Kaleb in a sad voice.
"Yes. I do," Kaleb pouted.
"I know what will make you feel better..." Kris answered secretively. "Mama's bringin' home special dessert."
"Ice cream?" Kaleb asked, his brown eyes wide.
"I don't know. You'll have to eat your dinner and see..." Kris said, checking out Kaleb's head a final time. "Well, I think you'll be okay, kiddo."
"Yes! I okay now! 'Cause I want peshul dessert," Kaleb nodded.
Kris carried him out to the kitchen and set him in the high chair. He gave him a fork, a spoon, a plate and a napkin and asked if he could figure out where they all went. He may have only been two, but he was smart. And, Kris figured, the more involved his kids were in household chores, the less he and Katy would have to do.
Then, he focused on Jesse, who was still sitting where Kris had left him in the living room, staring at the carpet.
"Hey, Jesse? Come out here, I wanna show you something about cooking. It's a secret, so you can't tell Katy," he continued, keeping his tone light so Jesse would understand it wasn't a bad secret.
Jesse came closer, curious, but silent.
"You wanna know how to know for sure if a noodle's done?" Kris asked quietly. He didn't need Kaleb overhearing this, either.
Jesse nodded slowly.
So, Kris plucked a lasagna noodle out of the pot, and made sure it was cool enough to handle. Then, he threw it up against the side of the cabinet.
It stuck.
"Cool... Where'd you learn that?" Jesse asked, impressed.
"This Italian cooking show. The lady on it taught me," he confided.
And when Jesse laughed, Kris considered it a small victory.