Needed [DDLB]

chapter fifteen

I wake up to the smell of bacon and hear loud chattering.

Sniffing the air, I seem to forget about last night as I just soak it all in. All of the sudden, I hear screaming. I jolt up, breathing hard from fear that something bad happened. 

I don't even want to think about what happened in my lower region....

"Baby, are you okay?" I hear and look up. I notice that I didn't hear or sense that Alec was in the room with me and staring at me worriedly. Dakota, the biggest one of them all I had learned, bursts in the room sweating with his hair all jumbled up atop his head. 

I unknowingly whimper in fear. Did someone get hurt? Why was there yelling?!

I am picked up by Dakota before I can ask my question, and a pacifier is put in my mouth again. I make a sour face but don't say anything, because believe it or not, but it gives me comfort. 

"We're sorry for yelling babe, your Uncle Jamie just scared Daddy. No one is hurt, my love." He coos. I sniffle and they wipe my face with a wet wipe that I didn't notice was there. 

I just bury my face in his chest and clench my fists into his shirt, praying that I won't fall or he won't drop me. 

He starts rubbing my back and bouncing in his step and I feel grateful because it soothes me. Despite my mind not wanting this, my body is all for it. 

I look into the kitchen curiously and see that the curly haired man, Harry, is sitting down and eating some bacon. I am brought into the room and sat on a huge chair. I whine, not wanting to be sitting in this chair instead of warmth and getting my back rubbed. He looks at me shocked before smiling. 

"Do you not like the high chair, sweetheart?" I shake my head and try to wriggle out the uncomfortable seat, making grabby hands at him. He chuckles and grabs me from the chair and into his lap as he sits on a regular chair on the other end of the long, oak table. 

He grins while holding a spoon-full of flavored rice. I don't like rice. I push it away but make sure not to make him mad by spilling it. "I don't like that," I say to him. I can feel his frown atop my head. "What do you want to eat? Do you like steak, baby?" I don't know what steak is, I tell him. It's true.

He makes this horrified face like it's a crime to not know what steak is. I start to feel uncomfortable when he keeps that face for a moment. I turn my head and avert my attention, and see Dakota smiling amusedly. "Baby, what would you like to eat? You still have to eat your greens but you need some meat in you," He said softly. He set his mug down on the counter and got a medium-sized cooking pot out. He put it under the faucet and turned on the water. 

"I like green beans," I say matter-of-factly. He chuckles at me. "You can't just eat green beans, buddy. You need some meat in your system," He explains slowly to me. I sigh in confusion. "Why?"

"Because, if you don't eat meat, then you won't grow as much as you could!" He says to me. "I guess," I sigh. My stomach growls at me and I hiss at it to shut up. The men in the room laugh at my expense. "Can I have pizza?" 

They say no. "What about BBQ?" I say hopefully. I've never really had it but I saw in some picture books how fun it seems. I tell them this. Alec comes and hugs me tightly, petting my hair and saying how I'm such a poor child. I giggle uncomfortably. 

"All done! I hope you like lasagna," He said bringing a large pan out the oven. When did he do all that?! I look, shocked, at the cooking pan and he cuts a small square in the corner, putting it on a Batman plate. 

I cheer out loud because of that. I love Batman! I am Batman!

Dakota grabs me and sits down, putting me in his lap. Picking up a kiddie fork, he lifts it full of steaming food to his mouth and blows before bringing it to mine. I eat the whole plate with no struggle.