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Fyodor was cradling Nikolai on his lap, bouncing him. Nikolai’s overcoat was wrapped around him as a blanket. Nikolai was whining and wriggling in his spot.
“Kolya, it’s time for your nap soon.” Fyodor said to Nikolai. Fyodor was trying to untangle Nikolai’s hand from his hair. Nikolai was pulling his hair. It hurt, but you can’t expect much from a child.
“Doooos-kun!” Nikolai yelled in Fyodor’s ear. Fyodor was not fazed.
“It’s Papa. Say Papa.” Fyodor corrected.
Nikolai pouted. He stuck his hand into his coat and pulled Fyodor’s hair back again. Fyodor groaned in mild annoyance and untangled Nikolai’s hand again.
“I will not ask again, Kolya. We have to get ready for naptime and read your brother a story. You both need your sleep.” Fyodor reached from a counter nearby and grabbed a spider stuffed animal. Nikolai eagerly took it and rubbed his face against the soft texture. His protests quieted down after that.
Fyodor laughed quietly. “I guess you are too young to understand.” He stood up with Nikolai cradled on his hip and left the room.
He walked into the next room; it was filled with childish drawings, one bed, one crib, a few furnishings, and Sigma in the middle of the room, drawing. “Sigma, my apologies for leaving you alone for so long. Is everything okay?” Fyodor sat down on the ground, placing Nikolai on his lap and patting Nikolai’s back.
Sigma looked up from his drawings. The drawings were uncoordinated and messy, like a child’s, and bright crayons were strewn nearby. “I-I’m okay, Papa… made a drawin’.” Sigma said. He had a slight lisp.
“I’d love to see it, Sigma.” Fyodor said with his best sincerity.
Sigma plucked a piece of paper from his pile. Upon further inspection, through all the doodles of bright colors, there were three stick figures. Sigma pointed at the stick figures. “I-Is us, Papa! Look! Look!” Sure enough, one of the figures had a distinct ushanka, one of them had a big coat, and the last one had split hair colors. It matched Fyodor, Nikolai, and Sigma, respectively.
Fyodor smiled. “This is perfect. Are you satisfied with your drawing?” He asked. Sigma nodded. “Good. I would love to place it up after your nap. I haven’t even braided your hair yet. There is much to do.” Fyodor grabbed a strand of Sigma’s hair and twirled it between his fingers.
“B-But braiding my hair takes a big time, Papa!” Sigma whined.
“Takes even longer to untangle it, Sigma.” Fyodor recalls the few times Sigma has won that battle. It was the most messy, tangled, and downright awful bedhead. Since Fyodor considered himself to be a diligent father, he’d always untangle it but avoid it at all costs.
“Now, sit down on your bed and we can start.” Fyodor walked to Nikolai’s crib and placed the baby down. Nikolai whined and reached his arms out. “I will return, Kolya.” Fyodor said. He walked over to Sigma’s bed and patted the space next to him.
Sigma pouted and walked over. He plopped himself down next to Fyodor.
“I have told you many times why I braid your hair before you sleep. Is it better if we keep it braided?” Fyodor asked. He grabbed a nearby hairbrush and started to brush down Sigma’s hair.
“Is just boring, Papa..I’m a big boy!” Sigma said. He was turned away as he obediently let his hair be brushed.
“You are, Sigma. But you don’t like it when I untangle your hair. This is our best solution.” Fyodor was calm and collected as he spoke. Fyodor failed to mention that when Sigma is big, he braids his own hair. It wasn’t relevant. Fyodor placed down the brush and began braiding down a loose braid.
Fyodor hummed a small tune. He watched as Sigma got progressively more tired.
It was peaceful until Fyodor gasped out in pain, and his head shot backwards as if his hair had been yanked. He snapped his head over to a certain clown’s crib. There, Nikolai giggled slightly before placing his thumb in his mouth, feigning innocence. Fyodor sighed and returned to braiding Sigma’s hair.
“Papa, done?” Sigma asked. He rubbed his eyes trying to get the sleepy sensation out of them.
“Almost, Sigma. What hair tie would you like to use?” Fyodor asked.
“Umm, blue…” Sigma responded.
The blue hair tie had a decorative blueberry charm Sigma had taken a liking to. Fyodor reached to a shelf nearby for a little chest full of bows and hair ties. He opened the chest, his other hand holding the end of the braid. Fyodor looked in, seeing all sorts of bright colors, but not any blue.
“My apologies, Sigma, but I am not seeing the blue tie in here. What else would you prefer?” Fyodor’s voice remained calm, but the same couldn’t be said for Sigma.
Sigma’s face grew slightly irritated as tears welled up in his eyes. “No! Blue!” Sigma exclaimed.
“No, Sigma. There’s no blue today. You have to pick something else.” Fyodor said. He picked up a random hair tie. It was purple with stars on it. A solid choice for a man with zero sense of fashion, according to a toddler. “Is this one agreeable?” Fyodor asked. The feeling of being overwhelmed began to creep out on him.
“No!” Sigma wailed. His emotions won him over, and he began to cry. Ugly, snotty tears poured out of the poor boy. Fyodor let out a sigh and a small prayer.
This also caused a chain reaction; if one baby cries, so does the other. Nikolai let out a few whines before he began to cry as well.
Fyodor was a father, he had to remind himself. None of these activities were the most fun for him. He didn’t find as much satisfaction as either of the children. It was part of a duty for an ultimate end goal that was yet to come. Not to say he didn’t enjoy it; that would be a lie. But the feeling of anger and frustration sometimes got to him.
So, Fyodor took a deep breath. He finished tying Sigma’s hair with the purple hair tie. He pulled Sigma into his lap. “No more of that. Your hair is all done, no more tears. We can look for it once you’re awake.” Fyodor said. He wrapped his arms around Sigma’s waist in a rare display of affection. He began to cry even more, but Fyodor understood it was to let out his frustrations.
Sigma’s tears slowly subsided. He played with Fyodor’s hands. “Papa…sleepy,” Sigma said.
“I know, and you must be happy to nap with Penny, no?” Fyodor said. Sigma's face immediately brightened. He pushed himself off of Fyodor’s lap to look for his jellyfish plushie.
Fyodor stood up and walked over to a still crying Nikolai. Fyodor picked up Nikolai and settled him on his hip. “You wish to be held, Kolya?” He asked. He didn’t receive an answer. Nikolai’s tears subsided as quickly as they arrived. Fyodor pulled Nikolai’s thumb out of his mouth. “I guess I can indulge for once.” He said.
Fyodor walked both of them to a small cabinet in the room. He pulled out a pacifier out of its container. A rare commodity in the household. Fyodor held it to Nikolai’s mouth; he eagerly accepted it and suckled on it happily.
Pacifiers were the one item that was commonly refused by Fyodor. He found them a little tedious to clean, compared to all of the laundry and dishes he had to clean when taking care of two young kids.
In addition, there were a few incidents back when he did allow them. Nikolai would be regularly found sucking on a pacifier as an adult and would get caught while administering his own adult tasks. It embarrassed Nikolai and Fyodor equally. But sometimes, babies just need comfort.
“Are you ready to read your brother a story?” Fyodor asked. He didn’t wait for an answer as he walked back to Sigma’s bed. The toddler was already underneath the covers, hugging his jellyfish plushie close. “What story would you like, Sigma?” Fyodor asked. He held Nikolai close with one arm and patted the baby’s back with the other hand.
“Red Riding Hood!” Sigma quickly exclaimed.
Fyodor smiled, a tired smile. This had been the 7th day in a row that Sigma had asked for Red Riding Hood. He knew it from memory by now. “Very well, get ready now.” He said.
Fyodor wasn’t unhappy in his predicament. He found a lot of joy, actually. But by fucking god, was he tired of Red Riding Hood.