Brother from another mother

Uncle Nick gave Mikey too much sugar.

Harvey eased off his jacket and hung it up as he came into the apartment. It wasn't quite late; a dusky hue was starting to appear in the city and filter through the windows of his balcony but to Harvey's now permanent parent clock; it was quite late. He heard muffled giggles from somewhere and couldn't help but frown and feel slightly wary.

His brother Nick had been commissioned to babysit while Harvey had a heavy workload - as much as Donna tried to get him to either take the work home or hire a professional, Harvey bristled at both the ideas. If he brought work home he wouldn't be able to pay any attention to Mike and the kid practically needed eyes on him 24-7. And Harvey wouldn't trust someone he'd never met to look after Mike - and he knew Mike would take a while to build up trust with someone neither of them knew.

So he had called Nick down - who was only too happy to stay in his brother's very nice condo when in return all he had to do was make sure Mike was fed and occupied.

And apparently he had done this very well.

Harvey walked into the main living area and found what was effectively a fort set up. He had no idea where they had gotten the sticks necessary to prop the sheets up but he could just make out the silhouettes of his brother and son as they giggled about whatever the hell it was they were doing.

Harvey placed his briefcase down on a chair and knelt to open the flaps of the sheets. "Permission to enter the fort?"

He was barrelled over by Mike as the toddler leapt at him excitedly, happy to have him home. "Harvey! You're back! I missed you! How was work? Have you finished now? Does that mean you can stay here?"

Harvey managed to pull himself back to his feet whilst holding the cuddly boy and glared at Nick. "What?" His brother asked.

"How much sugar have you given him?"

"Not that much!" Nick protested, even as Mike was practically shaking in Harvey's arms. "Well... not as much as you wouldn't want him to have."

"I wouldn't want him to have any," Harvey reminded him. "You know how hard it'll be to get him to sleep?"

"That's why it's better to be an Uncle," Nick reminded him with an innocent beam. "You can do whatever and then just give the kid back afterwards. Speaking of, I should really go - "

"Nope," Harvey said, clapping a spare hand on Nick's shoulder as he gave a predatory smile. "You can help me calm him down and get ready for bed."

"No, I should probably leave soon, I have to be - " Nick's words were cut off as Harvey placed Mike in his arms.

"I'm going to get changed," he told Nick sternly. "When I get back, that fort is to be gone and that kid," Mike giggled and chewed on his own fist, "is to be calm. Got it?"

"Harvey, I don't know how to calm kids down!" Nick said in a panicked voice.

"Well then you'd better learn quickly shouldn't you?" Harvey replied.

"Where are you going?" Mike gave a wail.

"I'm just going to get changed out of my suit," he promised Mike.

"And brush your hair?"

"And brush my hair," Harvey agreed, chucking Mike under the chin.

"Why does he want you to brush your hair?" Nick asked, struggling to keep Mike in his arms as Harvey got further away from them.

"He doesn't like it when my hair's styled," Harvey explained, taking his tie off. "Doesn't look like me, apparently."

"Doesn't look like Daddy," Mike agreed, nodding seriously before wiggling out of Nick's arms.