Sittin' in a Tree
by Kenboy
Spring, 2007
"I'm telling my dad!"
"Please don't."
"I am!"
Gunn glared at the boy. It didn't work.
"Cordy and Gunn sittin' in a tree..."
"Shhh!"
"K-I-S-S-I-N-G..."
"Connor!"
"First comes love..."
Gunn reached down and grabbed Connor around the knees. The five year old shrieked as he landed inverted over Gunn's shoulder, the blood rushing to his head. It didn't stop the singing, though.
"Then comes marriage," he shouted out, louder than ever.
"Connor, man, don't do this to me..."
"Then comes Gunn in the baby carriage!" A fit of giggles overcame the boy, but he still managed to croak out the rest, all in a big rush. "Suckin' his thumb, peein' his pants, doin' the hula-hula dance!"
Gunn raised an eyebrow. "The what?"
"I dunno. That's how it goes. Put me down!"
"Promise not to tell."
"Put me down!"
"Promise not to tell!"
"Why not?"
Gunn sighed and put the dark-haired boy down on the grass. He kneeled down to his level, so he could look him in the eye. "'Cause, little buddy, ain't none of them can keep a secret."
"They can't?"
"Nope."
"Not even my dad?"
"You remember Uncle Wesley's birthday party? His surprise birthday party?"
"It wasn't a surprise party, silly!"
"See, no, it was a surprise party. Then we told your dad about it. Then it stopped being a surprise party, 'cause Wesley suddenly knew."
"Oh."
"Yeah."
"And daddy would tell Aunt Cord?"
"Well, not on purpose, but yeah, probably, he'd slip up, and she'd find out."
"And that's bad, 'cause she can't know 'bout the ring yet!"
"Right. It's gonna be a surprise when we go out to dinner this weekend."
"'K."
"You know where you're gonna hide it?"
Connor nodded wordlessly. "She'll never find it. She hates Lego's."
"Women." Gunn shook his head in mock horror, then put the ring box in Connor's jacket pocket, making sure there was no visible bulge. "C'mon, let's go inside, and you can take care of that for me." He stood and took the boy's hand as they headed back into the house.
