Post by “The Better Man” Warren Kidd on Dec 24, 2023 14:33:10 GMT
Damien’s nanny Florence Whittaker dropped the four year old and his precious Bluey plush toy off at Warren Harper’s American home address in Boston, where Damien would spend the next couple of days with ‘the fun dad’ at his own request. In preparation for the boy’s arrival, Warren had enlisted the help of his friends and family with the decorations.
It was obvious from the giant light up Santa sleigh in the front yard and the hundreds of lights that made up the whole display, Warren was overcompensating. Perhaps trying to prove himself better than Dean in Damien’s eyes, or perhaps just making up for the kind of childhood he’d always missed out on, growing up in a strict and violent home, where little was ever celebrated, least of all Christmas.
His half-sister Dawn and one of his best friends, Shea had gone a little nuts in helping Warren decorate, but not quite as crazy as Vivienne who had brought over all four of her dogs and her twin boys - Noah and Liam - to use their real birth names Vivienne had chosen as opposed to the stage names Ulf had christened them with for their television appearances as ‘his’ sons. That charade had been forced to an abrupt and unceremonious halt months ago - Vivienne was a single parent again, giving her extra sympathy and motivation to try and make sure Damien was still well cared for - even if Dean and Warren didn’t make it beyond this rough patch they were currently experiencing.
Warren had little hope they would. His family were almost world renowned for the mistakes they made in their relationships. It was almost an unwritten rule of the universe that if you got in bed with a Kane it wasn’t going to last more than a couple of years at most. As if Warren needed reminding of such tragedy, Dawn was still reeling off the recent breakdown of her own marriage, having caught her wife fucking somebody else in Vivienne’s kitchen of all places, maybe Shea had the right idea by being the only one of this group not to live on the same street as everybody else.
There was little time to dwell on regrets however as Warren’s doorbell rang just as Vivienne emerged from the kitchen carrying a tray full of freshly baked Christmas tree shaped ginger cookies. Warren got up, put on his best smile and answered the door, where Damien stood, hand in hand with Florence and Bluey clutched to his chest.
“Hey kiddo,” Warren said, ruffling his hair before he addressed Florence. “Would you like to stay, we have plenty of room, the more the merrier?”
Florence smiled politely, “I appreciate the offer Mr Harper, but I’m sure the other Mr Harper would enjoy paying me for time I’m not working.”
“Nonsense,” Warren smiled. “If it’s a money issue, I’m willing to pay double your usual rate since it is the holidays.”
Why not make himself look better in the eyes of the nanny too? Everyone here deserved to know Dean was the problem in their marriage, not Warren.
Florence shrugged, “I…I guess there isn’t any harm…”
Damien looked around the house, “Wow Dad you have a lot of Christmas spirit!”
“Only the best for my boy!” Warren exclaimed, “Come in, come in. Let me introduce you to my friends and family.”
Warren led them both in, shutting the door. He made short introductions, mainly for Florence’s benefit, Damien already knew who everybody here was. Then he invited them to sit and offered them refreshments. Damien seemed over joyed at all the decorations and the festivities on display. He munched on a cookie while Florence seemed slightly out of place among strangers.
“So you’re a nanny huh?” Dawn started to break the ice, “That’s got to be fun.”
“Oh, well it can be pretty challenging but Mr Harper. — the other Mr Harper I guess, pays me really well and has been a joy to work for.”
“I’m glad he has helping hands, considering.” Vivienne smiled politely as she helped the twins get settled.
“Call me Mr Kidd, if it makes the distinction easier,” Warren said. He hadn’t used his birth name in several years, most still referred to him by his wrestling name, Kane, even now, but that didn’t feel appropriate here. In his own home, he was just a person, not a legacy. “The ‘other’ Mr Harper just sounds so inauthentic.”
Florence nodded, “Okay, Mr. Kidd.”
“Wow, are you going to go back to that once the D word happens?” Dawn asked, sipping her drink.
“Dawn.” Vivienne said softly, gesturing to Damien.
“Right… sorry.” Dawn winced. “I fucked up.”
“What D word?” Damien asked.
“Dance Party.” Vivienne said quickly.
Warren shot Dawn a look that told her everything she needed to know about just how much thin ice she was on right now, not only for insinuating divorce but also for her coarse language in front of such innocent ears.
“Language,” he said, soft, but firm, sounding less like a brother, and more like a father. “Well, why not? If it happens, it’s who I was raised as.”
“Dunno. Been clinging to Dad’s last name for so long I just assumed you’d go back to that.” Dawn shrugged.
“Either way,” vivienne the expert at shifting topics. “Did you already do Christmas with your other dad?”
“I had one Christmas. I got to see pepaw. Daddy was super sad most of that Christmas though so he said we’d have another when I got home.” Damien smiled.
“Mr Harper and I are working on a plan. To make it up for Damien.” Florence smiled, “Damien made everyone gifts too. Though I’m not sure when you want to give those out.”
“I don’t know.” Damien shrugged, eating another cookie.
“Well, I may only get one Christmas with you buddy,” Warren said, “So I hope to make it your best. If you’re a good boy, you can have one gift now, the day before Christmas. Would you like that?”
Damien’s eyes lit up, “I’m always a good boy!”
Warren nodded at Shea who took her cue to leave the room and get one of Damien’s presents.
“What did you wish for this year more than anything else? If you’ve been a real good boy this year, maybe your wish came true. Maybe Santa dropped off your present early. Close your eyes and wish really hard, maybe the elves’ Christmas magic will work.”
Damien closed his eyes tight and clearly was concentrating like mad as he crossed his fingers. Vivienne smiled at the innocent display. Dawn took another sip of her drink.
Shea carried a small female Blue Heeler puppy over to Damien and placed her gently in Damien’s arms. Warren wasn’t that hot on his Aussie cattle dog breeds but Cyrus had assured him that she was the correct one if he really wanted to give Damien a real life Bluey.
Damine got licked on the face as he opened his eyes and let out an overjoyed squeal. “It’s a puppy! I got a puppy! I’ll take such good care of her! I promise, I promise!”
Dawn and Vivienne smiled at the display. Florence swallowed nervously as Damien hugged the puppy and giggled.
“I know you will,” Warren smiled, hugged Damien and kissed the top of his head. “Merry Christmas, kiddo. She’s going to need a name though.”
“Bluey!” Damien said, without hesitation.
“Of course,” Warren laughed, “Bluey, it is.”
It was obvious from the giant light up Santa sleigh in the front yard and the hundreds of lights that made up the whole display, Warren was overcompensating. Perhaps trying to prove himself better than Dean in Damien’s eyes, or perhaps just making up for the kind of childhood he’d always missed out on, growing up in a strict and violent home, where little was ever celebrated, least of all Christmas.
His half-sister Dawn and one of his best friends, Shea had gone a little nuts in helping Warren decorate, but not quite as crazy as Vivienne who had brought over all four of her dogs and her twin boys - Noah and Liam - to use their real birth names Vivienne had chosen as opposed to the stage names Ulf had christened them with for their television appearances as ‘his’ sons. That charade had been forced to an abrupt and unceremonious halt months ago - Vivienne was a single parent again, giving her extra sympathy and motivation to try and make sure Damien was still well cared for - even if Dean and Warren didn’t make it beyond this rough patch they were currently experiencing.
Warren had little hope they would. His family were almost world renowned for the mistakes they made in their relationships. It was almost an unwritten rule of the universe that if you got in bed with a Kane it wasn’t going to last more than a couple of years at most. As if Warren needed reminding of such tragedy, Dawn was still reeling off the recent breakdown of her own marriage, having caught her wife fucking somebody else in Vivienne’s kitchen of all places, maybe Shea had the right idea by being the only one of this group not to live on the same street as everybody else.
There was little time to dwell on regrets however as Warren’s doorbell rang just as Vivienne emerged from the kitchen carrying a tray full of freshly baked Christmas tree shaped ginger cookies. Warren got up, put on his best smile and answered the door, where Damien stood, hand in hand with Florence and Bluey clutched to his chest.
“Hey kiddo,” Warren said, ruffling his hair before he addressed Florence. “Would you like to stay, we have plenty of room, the more the merrier?”
Florence smiled politely, “I appreciate the offer Mr Harper, but I’m sure the other Mr Harper would enjoy paying me for time I’m not working.”
“Nonsense,” Warren smiled. “If it’s a money issue, I’m willing to pay double your usual rate since it is the holidays.”
Why not make himself look better in the eyes of the nanny too? Everyone here deserved to know Dean was the problem in their marriage, not Warren.
Florence shrugged, “I…I guess there isn’t any harm…”
Damien looked around the house, “Wow Dad you have a lot of Christmas spirit!”
“Only the best for my boy!” Warren exclaimed, “Come in, come in. Let me introduce you to my friends and family.”
Warren led them both in, shutting the door. He made short introductions, mainly for Florence’s benefit, Damien already knew who everybody here was. Then he invited them to sit and offered them refreshments. Damien seemed over joyed at all the decorations and the festivities on display. He munched on a cookie while Florence seemed slightly out of place among strangers.
“So you’re a nanny huh?” Dawn started to break the ice, “That’s got to be fun.”
“Oh, well it can be pretty challenging but Mr Harper. — the other Mr Harper I guess, pays me really well and has been a joy to work for.”
“I’m glad he has helping hands, considering.” Vivienne smiled politely as she helped the twins get settled.
“Call me Mr Kidd, if it makes the distinction easier,” Warren said. He hadn’t used his birth name in several years, most still referred to him by his wrestling name, Kane, even now, but that didn’t feel appropriate here. In his own home, he was just a person, not a legacy. “The ‘other’ Mr Harper just sounds so inauthentic.”
Florence nodded, “Okay, Mr. Kidd.”
“Wow, are you going to go back to that once the D word happens?” Dawn asked, sipping her drink.
“Dawn.” Vivienne said softly, gesturing to Damien.
“Right… sorry.” Dawn winced. “I fucked up.”
“What D word?” Damien asked.
“Dance Party.” Vivienne said quickly.
Warren shot Dawn a look that told her everything she needed to know about just how much thin ice she was on right now, not only for insinuating divorce but also for her coarse language in front of such innocent ears.
“Language,” he said, soft, but firm, sounding less like a brother, and more like a father. “Well, why not? If it happens, it’s who I was raised as.”
“Dunno. Been clinging to Dad’s last name for so long I just assumed you’d go back to that.” Dawn shrugged.
“Either way,” vivienne the expert at shifting topics. “Did you already do Christmas with your other dad?”
“I had one Christmas. I got to see pepaw. Daddy was super sad most of that Christmas though so he said we’d have another when I got home.” Damien smiled.
“Mr Harper and I are working on a plan. To make it up for Damien.” Florence smiled, “Damien made everyone gifts too. Though I’m not sure when you want to give those out.”
“I don’t know.” Damien shrugged, eating another cookie.
“Well, I may only get one Christmas with you buddy,” Warren said, “So I hope to make it your best. If you’re a good boy, you can have one gift now, the day before Christmas. Would you like that?”
Damien’s eyes lit up, “I’m always a good boy!”
Warren nodded at Shea who took her cue to leave the room and get one of Damien’s presents.
“What did you wish for this year more than anything else? If you’ve been a real good boy this year, maybe your wish came true. Maybe Santa dropped off your present early. Close your eyes and wish really hard, maybe the elves’ Christmas magic will work.”
Damien closed his eyes tight and clearly was concentrating like mad as he crossed his fingers. Vivienne smiled at the innocent display. Dawn took another sip of her drink.
Shea carried a small female Blue Heeler puppy over to Damien and placed her gently in Damien’s arms. Warren wasn’t that hot on his Aussie cattle dog breeds but Cyrus had assured him that she was the correct one if he really wanted to give Damien a real life Bluey.
Damine got licked on the face as he opened his eyes and let out an overjoyed squeal. “It’s a puppy! I got a puppy! I’ll take such good care of her! I promise, I promise!”
Dawn and Vivienne smiled at the display. Florence swallowed nervously as Damien hugged the puppy and giggled.
“I know you will,” Warren smiled, hugged Damien and kissed the top of his head. “Merry Christmas, kiddo. She’s going to need a name though.”
“Bluey!” Damien said, without hesitation.
“Of course,” Warren laughed, “Bluey, it is.”
Well howdy there pardner.