Disclaimers: I don’t own ‘em, as much as I would like to. Don’t own much, actually…go figure.
Warnings: yaoi, meaning male/male relationships. If you don’t like it, don’t read it. Don’t complain to me if you ignore the warnings, either. Explicit in parts…kind of.
With agile grace, Duo stepped around the fallen remains of a building that had been knocked down in an earlier battle before hopping over cars and trucks left behind in the aftermath of a war that never seemed to end. As the screams reached fever pitch, he wondered if there was enough aspirin in the world to ease his aching head.
Sweeping his arms down, he scooped up the screaming toddler, her face pink and wet with tears, “Ayla, what is it?”
Blue eyes peeked out from underneath the brim of his own cap, black curls poking out in every direction. With a face almost identical to her mother’s, Ayla, a proud almost-three-year-old, pointed accusingly at her older brother, Kyran. “He frew my car way unner th’ shelf.”
It took a moment of mental translation before Duo lifted an eyebrow at Kyran, who in typical five-year-old big brother status, gave a sullen shrug, “I didn’t do nuthin.”
“Let me guess. You took Ayla’s car and threw it because she knocked over the house you were building,” Duo sighed, indicating the rubble he had dodged with a jerk of his chin, holding the little girl on his hip with practiced ease.
Eyes the same shade of blue as his mother and sister’s turned mutinous as Kyran crossed his arms over his chest and gave his little sister the best glare he could work up. “It wasn’t a house. It was gonna be the Preventer’s building. I wanna work there when I grow up, just like Uncle Wufei. She’s nuthin but a dumb baby, anyway,” he added, jerking a shoulder. “Girls are dumb. They can’t do nuthin.”
Realizing he had finally discovered the source of Kyran’s ire, Duo kissed Ayla on the nose to make her giggle, then set her down with a box of thick crayons, rolling his eyes as one was immediately shoved into her mouth. “Ay, don’t eat that. It’ll make you turn purple,” he warned, stifling his laugh when she jerked the crayon out of her mouth and stared at it in horror before putting it to use on the pad of paper he handed her.
Hoping she was satisfied for the next five seconds, Duo turned his attention to the normally cheerful boy. “All girls are dumb? What about your mom or Aunt Sally or Aunt Noin? I think they’re pretty great.”
“They’re grown-ups. They don’t count.”
Understanding, Duo looked at the little girl, wobbling around on short legs with a crayon in her hand, aiming at the easel set up in the corner. “So you really just mean Ayla and Kia?”
The sullen look faded as tears pooled in the boy’s eyes. “Momma never has time for me anymore. She’s always busy with Kia, or too tired to make cookies with me like she used to; I wish she’d take Kia back to the hospital for somebody else.”
Sitting on the floor, Duo patted his knee. Kyran, who normally insisted he was too old for hugs, crawled into his lap instantly, revealing his distress. “She could do that, but what would happen if no one else wanted Kia? She’d have to grow up in an orphanage, with no parents or brother and sister to love her.”
“Like you did?” Wide eyes looked up at him.
“Like I did; you wouldn’t want that to happen to Kia, would you?”
“I guess not, but she cries all the time. Nobody can sleep ‘cause she cries all night, then she sleeps all day.”
“You don’t remember, but you did the same thing when you came home from the hospital; kept your mom up for days.” Studying Kyran’s stubborn expression, Duo tried another approach, “You do know that since you’re the big brother that gives you a lot of responsibility, right?”
Black eyebrows pulled together, “’Sponsibility?”
“Yep; it means you have to look out for your sisters and your mom. You have to help out when you can. It’s a great honor,” he added, forcing down a smile at the way Kyran’s eyes widened. Reminding himself to thank Wufei later for the lessons about honor, he kept his voice serious, “Of course, if you’re not old enough to do it, I’m sure your mom’ll understand.”
“I can do it,” Kyran announced then looked at Duo earnestly. “What do I hafta do? I can’t make money. I draw it real good, but momma says we can’t use it.”
“I don’t think you need to worry about money. Just help your mom out when you can. If Kia needs a diaper, get one for you mom. Clean up your toys when you get done playing with them. Most importantly, keep an eye on Ayla and keep her out of trouble. If you help your mom out, she’ll have extra time to spend with you instead of cleaning up the mess you’ve left behind.”
Hearing the bell over the door ring, signaling a customer’s arrival, Duo stood Kyran up. The boy eyed him doubtfully. “Momma will have more time if I clean up?”
“What does she do now when your sisters are asleep?”
“Mostly she has to pick up toys and stuff,” Kyran said with dawning comprehension.
“If she doesn’t have to pick up toys and stuff, she might have time to make cookies with you while they’re napping.”
“What if she’s too tired?”
“Then I’ll make some cookies with you after I get home,” Duo promised as he got to his feet.
Kyran regarded him for a few seconds, “You can’t cook,” he stated flatly.
“You’ll have to teach me then, okay?”
Apparently happy with that answer, Kyran went to Ayla and showed her how to put the crayons back into the plastic container Duo kept them stored in. Intending to raid the stash of aspirin under the counter and then tend to the customer, Duo turned and came face to face with the person that had entered the store, watching him with wide green eyes, obviously stunned.
Before he had time to come up with an appropriate greeting, Ayla began to scream at the top of her lungs again. Head pounding, he sent a glare at Kyran, who looked completely baffled. “I really didn’t do nuthin’ this time,” the boy stated sincerely. “She just started yelling.”
At the end of his tolerance, Duo held up a finger at the customer and yelled, “Morgan, help!”
A door in the back of the store opened up, revealing a woman with long blonde hair. Apparently immune to the screeching, she prowled forward in a dress of slinky yellow material that showed off all of her curves. Blue eyes on the bewildered customer, she purred, “Please tell me I get to help this one.”
“Down girl; can you take the kids for a while? Ayla needs a nap and she won’t go to sleep for me.”
Giving the customer a predatory look, she lifted a perfectly arched eyebrow, “You have to learn how to handle them. One of these days, I’ll teach you all my secrets.” Turning to the play area, she clapped her hands together once, “Ayla, stop that right now. Women should only cry if it gets them something.” Amazingly, the girl stopped crying immediately, earning a nod of approval from the blonde. “Good girl. Kyran, go get the stroller, sweetie. Auntie Mor will take the two of you for a walk. If you’re very good, we’ll get some ice cream on the way back.”
“Morgan,” Duo hissed, “Ayla does not need more sugar.”
“Darling, she’ll be asleep before we get to the ice cream shop. Want me to bring you something, or are you going to have dessert here?” she added, giving the customer a pointed look.
Face burning, Duo glared as she put Ayla in the stroller and left with the children, her laughter floating through the store before the bell over the door signaled their departure. Aware his face was red, he gave the customer a weak smile, “So, what can I do for you, Trowa?”
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