#lee!matpat

Matpat left the recording room and sighed as he walked up to Stephanie. He hugged her from behind, resting his chin on her shoulder with his eyes closed. 

“Hi Mat. How was the stream?” She asked. 

He smiled a small bit. “It was fine. But…it’s still not the same without you with me.” Matpat admitted. 

Steph chuckled and kissed her husband’s cheek. “I thought you were feeling better about that.” She admitted next. 

“I was, but…” Matpat lifted his head up and squeezed her shoulders gently. “It still feels different. There’s a different feeling in the room without you. Though it’s not bad, per say…it still feels different.” He explained. 

“I see.” She replied. “Do Matt and Ash help at all?” She asked. 

“They do…they make it less lonely for a while.” Matpat admitted. “I give them credit for keeping me comfortable and on my toes while I’m recording. But…” Matpat bit his lip. “I miss you.” He admitted. 

Steph smiled and looked down, to see their little boy standing beside her. “Hey Ollie: What do we do when Daddy’s sad?” She asked. 

Matpat looked down and smiled upon seeing Ollie. “Hi bean!” he knelt down. “How are you?” He asked. 

“Daddy sad?” Ollie asked him. 

“A little…but that’s okay.” Matpat told him. “Daddy’s taking a long time getting used to being on the couch alone.” Matpat admitted. 

“We tell funny jokes!” Ollie said to his mom. 

Steph nodded. “That’s right! We tell jokes, we play games, we playfight…” She told him. 

“You got any good jokes on you?” Matpat asked. 

Ollie smiled brightly. “Knock knock!” He said. 

Matpat chuckled. “Who’s there?” He went along with it. 

“Ssspell!” Ollie said. 

“Spell who?” Matpat asked. 

“W-O-O spells who!” He declared. 

Steph giggled as she quickly realized he hadn’t quite spelled it right. Matpat smiled and chuckled somewhat quietly. “Not…Not quite, but I get it.” Matpat admitted. 

“Knock knock!” Ollie said next. 

“Oh! Another one.” Matpat reacted, before clearing his throat. “Who’s there?” He asked. 

“Boo.” Ollie replied. 

“Boo who?” Matpat asked. 

“Why you crying! I’m joking!” Ollie reacted. 

Matpat couldn’t help the giggle that left his mouth. While the joke itself was okay, it was the timing of the joke that got him giggling a little bit. 

“YAY!” Ollie yelled, clapping his hands together. “I made daddy laugh!” He declared happily. 

Matpat picked up Ollie in his arms. “My turn to make YOU laugh.” He declared, putting Ollie onto his hip as he walked to the living room. “Why did the teddy bear say no to dessert?” Matpat asked him. 

“Why?” Ollie asked. 

“Because he was already SOOO stuffed.” Matpat replied in a dramatic voice. 

Steph laughed a bit at the joke, while Ollie giggled…almost like his dad had before. 

“Was that funny?” Matpat asked. 

Ollie nodded. “How do you talk to giants?” Ollie asked. 

“How?” Matpat replied. 

“You say BIG WORDS!” Ollie yelled before laughing loudly. 

Steph couldn’t stop herself: She doubled over, laughing at Ollie’s emphasis on ‘big words’. 

Matpat had widened his eyes with surprise. He wasn’t expecting Ollie’s voice to go that loud. He sat himself down onto the couch. “I’m sorry, what was the answer?” Matpat asked, now playing around. 

Ollie looked at his Dad with a smirk. “You say big words.” He replied. 

“Ooooh. See, that’s what I thought you said. But the words were so loud and so strong…that I couldn’t quite understand it.” Matpat admitted. 

Steph giggled. “I guess Daddy doesn’t speak giant.” She added. 

“Daddy speak quiet.” He said, putting his index finger onto his own lips. “Daddy speaks shhhh.” He added. 

“Yup…” Matpat quieted his voice. “Speak very quietly…So quiet, no one can hear you…” He brought his voice down to almost lip syncing…

But then Ollie pulled an evil little move: He started to tickle his Dad’s neck. “Coochy coo.” He teased. 

Matpat jumped and looked at Ollie. “What?” He asked. 

Ollie giggled with a mischievous grin on his face before bringing his fingers closer to his neck again. “Coochy coo.” he teased. 

Matpat giggled. “Are you trying to tickle me?!” He asked. 

Ollie giggled. “Mahahahaybe.” He responded with his hands over his mouth. 

“You want your Dad to REALLY laugh?” Steph asked Ollie with a smirk on her own face. 

“Steph, don’t even think about it.” Matpat warned as Steph moved Ollie to her side of the couch. 

Steph looked at Ollie. “Ready?” She asked. 

“nO-” Matpat attempted to run away before she could get her hands on him. But alas, Steph was just too quick for him. She had grabbed his sides and pulled him back down onto the couch, directly into her lap. “Get over here!” She said. 

“Get Daddy!” Ollie yelled happily. 

“Steph!” Matpat gasped. “aaAAAH!” He screeched, unintentionally leaning further into his wife’s chest. “The sides are really bad.” Steph told their son. “NO! Steheheph! HAHAhaha! Dohohon’t tehell him!” Matpat reacted. 

“But his belly on the other hand…” Steph smirked and skittered her fingers all over Mat’s belly. 

“No! NAHAHAHA! HAHAHA- STOHOHOP! MEAN! MEHEHEHEAN!” He shouted at her.

Ollie started to laugh loudly at his Dad. He was clearly loving this! “Tickle tickle, Daddy!” Ollie repeated. 

Steph laughed. “He’s teasing you!” She reacted. 

“EHEHEVIHIL! SOHOHO EHEHEVIL!” Matpat yelled at them. 

“And now: I’m gonna make your Dad HYSTERICAL with laughter!” Steph declared. “Do you know what hysterical means?” She asked him, turning it into a lesson. “No.” He replied rather bluntly. 

“Hysterical means ‘super strong emotion’. Like the word I use to describe you when you’ve eaten too much sugar!” Steph said. 

“Hyper?” Ollie asked. 

“Yeah!” She pulled Matpat’s belly closer to herself. “We’re gonna make your Dad hyper with laughter.” Steph told him before taking a big breath in. 

“Raspberries!” Ollie declared. 

“PPPPPBBBBFFFFBBBBTTT!”

Matpat threw his head back and cackled in her arms. “BAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHA!” Matpat cackled. 

“Again!” Ollie declared. “Another? Alright!” Steph took in another deep breath and blew another, much longer raspberry onto his belly. “PPPPBBBBBFFFFFFBBBBBFFFFBBFBFBFBFBFFFFTT!” 

Matpat wheezed and went completely silent for a moment or two...Only to erupt with high-pitched, hysterical laughter. “AAAAHAHAHAHAHAHA! HAHAHAHAHA- AAAHAHAHAHA!” Matpat shouted. 

“Again!” Ollie repeated. 

“Nope…I think two is enough for your father.” She told him. 

“Awww…Okay…” Ollie said somewhat sadly. 

“Here:” Steph picked up Ollie and placed him onto his belly. 

“OOOhoho! Hi behehean!” Matpat reacted to Ollie being placed on his stomach. 

Steph let go. “There. Your turn!” She told him. 

“Raspberry?” Ollie asked. 

Steph shrugged her shoulders. “Sure…why not.” She replied, thinking it would be fine. She was fully expecting Ollie to struggle with the raspberries, meaning Matpat wasn’t gonna be tickled much more. 

“Hehe…You gonna try a raspberry?” Matpat asked. 

Ollie took in a breath and placed his lips on his belly. But just as Steph predicted, Ollie couldn’t get the momentum of a raspberry quite right. So, Mat let him just play around with that for a bit.

“Feeling better?” She asked him. 

Matpat chuckled. “Y…Yeah. It’s nice to leave the office and be home.” Matpat admitted. 

“PPBBFTT!” 

Matpat squeaked and threw his head back, cackling with surprise. “WHOHOHOHAhahaha!” Matpat looked at Ollie with surprise. 

“I DID IT!” Ollie yelled, before blowing another one. “PBBBFFBBBFFTT!” 

Steph widened her eyes. “Oh my gosh- He really did!” She reacted. 

Matpat wheezed and laughed loudly. “HAHAhahaha! Hohohow dihihid-” 

“PPFFFBBBFFBFBFBFBFFT!” 

Matpat shook his head. “OHOKAHAHAY, Nohoho mohore, buhuddy. Nohomohohore.” Matpat told him. “Gohosh…If I get mercilessly tickled by Ollie within the next couple weeks…then it’s completely your fault.” Matpat told him.