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Rafael had been living with them for a few weeks when it happened for the first time. They still didn’t know the exact age of the boy.
They hadn’t known his name either, at the beginning. The first days they had simply called him ‘sweetie’, just being at a loss what else to do. He started to respond to them not only by his behavior, but also verbally after some time, so they had just assumed he would eventually tell them his name. However that never happened. He had only looked at them questioningly, his shoulders tensing whenever they had asked him if he remembered his name.
The name “Rafael” had actually been an accident. Magnus had never intended to name one of his kids (Yes, he had thought of another kid ever since Max came into their lives. Siblings were a concept he yearned for his son to experience since he himself never had the chance to.) after his dead friend.
Rafael had loved the antique chest of drawers with all the squiggly inlays in the hall ever since they had moved him in from the Institute. There were a bunch of photographs hanging above and he had loved - and still did - to be held, pointing at one of the frames, curious to hear the story behind it.
(They would eventually learn that he was a sucker for stories in general. He could sit for hours between them on the couch or in bed, listening to them reading to him, Max lightly snoring away through his slightly snotty baby nose. And Alec eventually falling in.)
He had been fascinated by one picture in particular though: Raphael Santiago shortly after his turning, sporting just a tiny hint of a small smile, wearing a dress jacket in the usual 50s-shape and his bangs in this huge massive greased pompadour.
Magnus hadn’t been sure what Rafe had seen in those eyes of his now long gone friend. Maybe on some level he had been able to connect with the loneliness and confusion Raphael had clearly been experiencing at that time. So they actually shouldn’t have been too surprised when a few days later this little, fragile boy being asked for his name again, had stated in a tone that left no room for arguing, “My name is Rafael.”
So was he 4 years old? Maybe Five? They weren’t sure. But he was actually over the age to be wetting his bed at night, Alec thought, momentarily standing in Rafael’s doorframe, smelling the unmistakable stench. Magnus did, too. With a glance at each other the warlock swirled his hand, blue sparks escaping, gathering the bedsheets together. Instead a neatly folded new pair appeared on the bare mattress.
Magnus had woken up Alec a few minutes earlier, his kids-emergency-spell alerting them. They had immediately stormed to Rafe’s room - where they only found the bed empty and wet.
Alec was about to call out for the boy when Magnus stopped him by shaking his head slightly, pointing at the closet in the corner. The door stood a tiny bit ajar, a little teddy bear arm peeking out. They agreed non-verbally, Alec stepping forward, Magnus following him close.
Alec rapped lightly at the closet door. “Someone at home?”
No answer.
“Oh, look, Magnus, I think someone is waving at us. Looks like Mr. Happy, don’t you think?”
“You are right!” Magnus played along squatting down. “Hello, Mr. Happy, how do you do? Oh. Really? You are a bit warm, but otherwise okay? Well, that’s good. You know, we are looking for our little friend, Rafael. You have to know him, he is one of your friends as well. The cute one that has these amazing hugging abilities? I see…oh… . Well, you know, we think he might be afraid, that Alec and I could be angry with him, because he had a little accident. Maybe you could tell him, that we will never ever be angry with him for that and he can always come to us when something like that happens, because we will take care of him.”
“Yeah, Mr. Happy,” Alec added, “And maybe you can tell him, that we miss him very much, we really want him to come back so we can take a bath and read ‘Where the Wild things are’.”
"What?” Magnus chimed in. “Oh yes, we know it’s his favorite book. Ours, too. So…You know what, Alec, I think we should try once again. Maybe someone is home now…?”
“Okay.” Alec squatted down next to Magnus and knocked. “Someone at home?”
For three awfully long heartbeats nothing happened, but suddenly ever so slightly the door opened, revealing a tear-streaked Rafael sitting under a pile of clothes. His eyes were full of agony and embarrassment. If their hearts hadn’t reached out for this boy before the sight would have made them in an instant.
Alec couldn’t help himself, just couldn’t stop his arms from reaching out, although he should have probably been more cautious as not to frighten him more.
“Please, Rafe,” he whispered, “Let us help you. Everything will be alright. You hear me? I promise."
Magnus sat next to him with shiny eyes, only focusing on Rafael. "We love you. We will never hurt you. Pinky swear. You know what that means?”
Surprisingly Rafael gave a small nod and after some seconds taking them by surprise when he abruptly jumped forward leeching on to Alec. He didn’t cry, just grabbed Alec as hard as he could, Magnus hugging them both murmuring reassuring words into the boy’s ear.
After what felt like hours, but probably was just a minute, they could feel Rafe relax.
“Come on, guys. Why don’t you take a bath while I take care of the room?” Magnus suggested. So Alec did just that and Rafael let him do it without putting up any fight. Stripping him down, putting him in the tub, rubbing him lightly with a washcloth, drying him carefully with a towel.
Magnus joined them bringing Rafe’s bathrobe. He knelt down on eye-level, holding out the sleeves. “Hey, Monkey, I was wondering if you maybe want to have a diaper for the night. It’s totally okay if you don’t want one, but if you feel safer and it helps you not to worry, that’s okay, too. It’s nothing to be ashamed of, okay?” he said earnestly.
Rafael’s cheeks flushed, but he nodded. “And you won’t tell?” he murmured almost inaudibly.
“No, we won’t. And that counts for everything, you might want to tell us. If it’s a secret just say so and it stays between you, Alec and me.”
“Yeah?"
"Yes. Pinky swear.” Alec emphasized.
“Okay.” Rafe bent forward to whisper into Magnus’ ear. “I think I want a diaper for tonight.”
“Good.” Magnus smiled at him. “Here you go.” And with a flowing handshake Rafael wore a diaper under his robe.
“Can we read now?” Rafe asked.
Alec chuckled. “Yeah, we can."
Magnus took Rafael in his arms and made their way to his and Alec’s bedroom. Alec followed them and stopped shortly to peek inside Max’ room, but the toddler was sound asleep, the beginnings of his little horns glancing in the incoming streetlights. He was about to step inside his own bedroom, when on a whim he decided to go back to Rafael’s room once again. It just wouldn’t be fair to leave Mr. Happy out tonight, he thought.