Brother from another mother

"I'm four!"

"Wake up!"

Harvey groaned as he rolled over, trying fruitlessly to ignore his human alarm clock that was currently jumping on him.

"Daddy, wake up!" Mike demanded.

"I'm going to get a lock on my door," he muttered, blinking blearily at his bedside table to look at the clock. "I'm going to make it so that nothing short of a battering ram can get in..."

"Daddy you have to get up!"

"I'm pretty sure I don't," Harvey grumbled, sitting up nonetheless.

"But it's today!" Mike insisted, and for that, at least, Harvey was thankful. It meant that it was more than likely morning.

"Well done, but I'm going back to sleep."

"It's my birthday!" Mike squealed slightly, bouncing more, making Harvey freeze.

Of course it was his birthday.

How had he forgotten? Not that he'd forgotten forgotten. Everything was planned - family and friends were coming, some kids that Mike got on well with at daycare were invited, Donna was bringing her little niece, food was ordered, presents were wrapped and hidden...

He'd just forgotten as soon as he woke up.

"Nope," he said nonchalantly. "Can't be. Your birthday was last year. I remember," he prodded Mike in the side slightly, making him squirm and giggle. He remembered adult Mike's birthday last year. Donna made them go out for a meal. It wasn't awkward; in fact it was quite pleasant, but Harvey had been accused of caring all night.

"It's 'nother birthday!" Mike told him firmly, climbing onto his lap. His speech seemed to regress if he got too excited. Like an asthmatic would get too breathy and wheeze; Mike would sound more and more like a child.

"Is it?" Harvey asked, automatically hugging him. "And how old are you this time?"

"27!" Mike said proudly.

"I don't think so," Harvey chuckled, getting up and taking Mike into the kitchen. "If you are, then what am I going to do with all the balloons and banners we bought?"

"You bought balloons?" Mike gasped, squirming round in Harvey's hold as if they had been hidden from his sight.

"Well I guess I'll have to get rid of them, now they've got the wrong age on them."

"But I'm techally 27!"

"Well you technically look 4 to me," Harvey replied, setting Mike down on a chair at the table. "And that's what the balloons say. Now," he opened the fridge, "I don't know what 27 year old's eat for their breakfast on their birthday, but I bought something 4 year old's like on their birthday..."

Mike gazed delightedly as Harvey pulled a carton of chocolate milk out of the fridge, before pouring it into a cup and adding a curvy straw. He had pretty much been forbidden to drink it up until now, and eagerly reached for it, trying to watch it go round the straw, going cross-eyed in his attempt. Harvey laughed before starting to make waffles, adding chocolate chips and topping it off with whipped cream. Mike beamed at this and started eating, squirming away when Harvey tried to wipe the cream off his chin.

"P'esents, Daddy! P'esents!" Mike practically vibrated with excitement.

"What?"

"P'esents p'ease," Mike amended, before rubbing at his mouth - another thing Harvey picked up on. When Mike realised he talked more childishly he often got distressed and started rubbing at his mouth, as if that in some way would cause his speech to go back to normal. Harvey ruffled his hair and finished wiping the cream off his face.