My Home From Home (ManxMan)

Chapter 9

"Home?" Henry cocked an eyebrow as he stared dumbfounded into the oddly amused looking Constable's soft gaze. "Did he just say... Home?"

"Yes...You see, the thing is, as afore mentioned, this building was converted from an old farmhouse." Thomas explained, running a hand thoughtlessly over his perfectly styled dark blond hair. "The bottom floor was sectioned off and converted into the constabulary and the doctor's surgery, and the top floors were left as they were; as bedrooms."

"Bedrooms? Like... Living quarters for staff?" Henry's eyes widened in pure intrigue; it was a rather peculiar setup to have a cottage hospital that wasn't actually a cottage hospital now to make it not only an infirmary but also a police station as well as staff living quarters. "Oh, I see..." Henry's sapphire blue eyes brightened ever so slightly as a proverbial lightbulb went off in his head. The employment letter Henry had received from the  Alberta Ministry of Health had mentioned living quarters being included with the job, though he'd priorly expected something rather along the lines of a small cottage somewhere; a bedroom above the surgery wasn't exactly what he'd envisioned.

"Yeah..." Trailed off Thomas, pursing his lips and nodding awkwardly as he locked eyes with the young dark haired boy. "Oh, this is Danny." Thomas lovingly patted the head the small boy who was hugging his leg as Henry blinked his gaze down towards the adorable little blond boy. He'd actually forgotten he was there to begin with; understandably so considering he was a bit preoccupied with the confusion surrounding his living situation. "We live upstairs above the police station, so it appears as though we'll be... neighbours."

"Ah! I see." Henry blinked perplexedly, though his confusion was short lived as he watched the handsome blond man scoop up the little boy and carry him in his arms; from first glance he was perhaps the most adorable little toddler he'd ever seen with the most precious pure, big eyes. "Hello Danny, I'm Henry." Henry cooed at the  sheepish little boy who simply stared at him blankly with those innocent round eyes.

"Danny, buddy. You wanna say hello to Dr Henry?" Thomas' eyes brightened, his face beaming as he looked lovingly at his little son in his arms. Henry couldn't help but smile at the sight, the little blond boy with his father's brown eyes dressed smartly in his adorable little boy clothes; a tucked in shirt with brown tweed short trousers and a little tweed suit jacket. But what surprised Henry was how attracted he was to the handsome tall blond man; he'd heard of this phenomenon before in some of his light reading. The idea of being hopelessly attracted to a man who is good with children, a way of ones psyche telling them that that person will make a good future mate. Though he hadn't, up until this point, realised that this phenomenon extended to his lot; men who took fondness to other men.

"C'mon Danny, don't be rude, say hi!" Thomas said softly as the little boy bashfully buried his face in his father's lapel. "Sorry about that, he's a bit shy." Thomas flashed Henry his dimples felt himself go weak in the knees yet again, fighting the urge to swoon at the sight of a man being so paternal.

"I-It's quite alright." Henry smiled warmly, hanging on to his composure as best he could. "I was terribly bashful as a child as well." He stepped towards the man as someone would  should they be approaching a skittish deer in the wild.

"Hello there, Danny." Henry gave it another go, tilting his head slightly with a smile as he gazed at the precious little blond lad in the man's arms. Henry felt his heart swell ever so slightly in his chest as the little boy turned his head to look up into the dark haired man's sapphire eyes with his bright brown eyes.

"Hewwo." Danny blushed brightly before burying his face shyly in his tiny little hands.

"You're absolutely adorable aren't you, Danny?" Henry said sweetly, noting the boy had his father's deep brown eyes and brown hair; he could practically say with utmost confidence that Thomas likely liked exactly like him when he was a child.