The proposal, Dreamland part nine

Popee was making dinner and also feeding Kedamono Junior, who was getting easier to take care of now that he liked finger foods and was eating the home cooked dinners Popee made with his parents, but in tiny bite sized pieces.

Kedamono was out looking for work, of which he had a scheduled job interview for the day, an office job that paid very well and would secure their future in the home they recently bought.

They were in the process of moving, and were almost completely moved in.

“Mama!” Kedamono Junior exclaimed as Popee gave him some cut up pieces of cooled, but still warm chicken.

Popee’s eyes widened and he gasped. “Keda, baby, did you just call me mama?!”

Kedamono Junior didn’t reply, but kept eating.

“Ahhh!” He screamed excitedly, “You said mama!” He jumped up and down, making the baby giggle.

He leaned down to the high chair where his son was sitting and kissed his cheek.

“Oh, I can’t wait to tell your daddy!”

He spun around and then did a handstand, walking around on his hands.

Kedamono Junior laughed in a happy squeal and threw some of the food on the floor.

“Oh is this my payment for the show?” Popee said, laughing softly, “Thank you!”

“Mama!”

“Ahhh!! You said it again!”

Popee got up and brushed off his hands.

“Oh, boy! This is the best day of my life!!” Popee said happily, cleaning up the mess on the floor.

He called up Eepop to tell her the news.

“Eh, you and Kedamono are actually raising him together? Wow. I’m very glad it’s working out,” Eepop said. “I don’t know is Ono would raise a kid with me…”

“Onomadek and you have come a long way, too.” Popee said in a careful tone.

“Yeah, true. It’s great you and Kedamono are parents. That sounds nice. And the fact that the baby calls you mama, that’s cute.”

“Yeah, I’m happy. Keda is, too. What’s been going on with you and Ono?”

“Ah, not much. We are trying to get back into the circus. As you know, Ono destroyed it. Bad fire and all.”

Popee bit his lip and sighed. “Yeah. But, what about your relationship?”

“It’s precarious… of course I love her..” Eepop said. “I just think… she isn’t so clear about what she wants.”

“I’m really sorry. Maybe we can all have a double date soon.”

“Maybe, that would be nice.”

“Remember to stick up for yourself, Eepop.”

“Oh, I do. You helped me with that, Popee. I just think sometimes, I am annoying. I get so emotional.”

“You aren’t annoying. Does Ono say that?”

“No. I just get that feeling.”

“Is Ono around?”

“No. She’s working on fixing our tent, and also, I’m looking for a job in the meantime.”

“Really? So is Keda.”

“Yeah. I promised Ono to get us a place.”

“That’s what Keda did, he got us our first house.”

Eepop laughed. “We really are mirror selves of each other!”

“Yeah,” Popee laughed, finishing up cooking dinner as he cleaned up his son and his high chair. “We are. Opposites of each other, but the same.”

“Anyway, I’m going to go, I have a interview to go to!”

Popee smiled, “Good luck! Talk to you soon.”

“Thanks! Okay, bye!”

Popee frowned, wishing Eepop sounded more sure of herself and the relationship she had with Onomadek, but he realized he could only do so much to help as their friend.

Eepop and Onomadek were from an alternate universe; Popee had accidentally found them when he got thrown into a mirror by a miscalculation with a bomb at his circus a few years ago. Eepop looked like Popee, only with Kedamono’s personality. Onomadek looked like Kedamono, only with Popee’s personality. And of course, Eepop and Onomadek were females, and Popee and Kedamono were males. Popee and Eepop felt a bit fluid in their gender identity, however, and often referred to themselves as they/them.

“Okay, sweetie,” Popee said to Kedamono Junior, holding him gently. “Time for your nap.” He rocked him softly and hummed to the tune of Twinkle, Twinkle, kissing his forehead. “Mama loves you, Keda Junior. Rest your little head, sleep well.”

He put the tired baby in his crib and smiled at him as he closed his eyes.

After he saw his son sleeping soundly, he went back to the kitchenette and started cleaning up a bit.

Suddenly, he heard a call, and saw that Kedamono was calling him.

“Hey, Keda, what’s up? Dinner is almost ready.”

“I got the job, baby!” Kedamono said. “I am so glad too… this job will be so close to the house and the pay is excellent.”

“Oh, you did?! Congratulations!”

“Thank you. And its an office job, as office administrator. So it won’t be in a dark bar, at least.”

“I’m so, so proud of you, my love,” Popee said, wanting to do another handstand. “Are you coming home? I’m so excited.”

“I gotta do some paperwork. But, then I’ll be home.”

“Okay, honey, I got news for you, too.”

“Oh, what is it?”

“Our son called me mama today!”

“What?! Oh my goodness!! That’s amazing baby!”

“Yeah… I was so excited I did a handstand walk.”

Kedamono laughed affectionately, “I wish I had been there for all of that. That made my day!”

“Aw. Of course, we missed you. But you did something so amazing for our family, so don’t worry, you’ll hear it too soon.”

“He hasn’t said dada yet…”

“He will. Don’t worry!”

“Oh, sweetheart, you’re so sweet. I love you.”

“I love you, too, Keda.”

“Everything else going good? I gotta finish up the paperwork and then I’ll be home.”

“Yes, all is well here. Our son is taking his late afternoon nap. I talked to Eepop. I was thinking we could go on a double date with them.”

“Hmm. Maybe. We’ll talk about it later.”

Popee sighed. “Okay, dear.”

They hung up and Popee sighed again, wondering if Kedamono still wasn’t too sure of their friendship with Onomadek and Eepop after all.

He decided that since there was so much going on, he wouldn’t bring it up again until after their move and they were settled in.

About twenty minutes later, Kedamono came home.

Popee ran over and hugged him tightly, and Kedamono leaned in and kissed him softly.

“Mmm, you smell good,” Popee whispered.

“You smell good, too.”

“Is Keda Junior still napping?”

Popee nodded.

“Aw, okay. I just wanted to spend a minute with you.”

“Wanna eat? Dinner is ready.”

“Yes, I’ll eat, but first I wanna take a moment to savor my darling husband…”

Popee’s eyes widened, “Husband?”

Kedamono blushed, realizing what he said. He knew he wanted to marry Popee, but he wanted to propose with the golden ring he bought.

“I mean… you practically are that to me…” Kedamono fumbled to explain.

Popee blushed and then grinned. “Oh, Keda! You are so adorable. Of course you meant it that way. I feel the same.”

Popee put on a song from his phone and started tap dancing like the woman in the video. Popee didn’t have the volume on too loud, but propped it up so they could watch the video. Popee was imitating the dance almost too well, making Kedamono watch him in awe.

“Oh, I love this song, Popee!” Kedamono said, as Popee twirled into his arms.

“Dance with me, husband!”

Kedamono chuckled and dipped Popee.

“You want my bad romance?” Popee teased. Kedamono nodded with a soft laugh. He kissed the tap dancing blonde as he lifted him up from the dip, moving closer to deepen the embrace with a longer, more passionate kiss.