Smiley and Sunshine

55.

Austin matched her whispering voice. "Hi, Hungry. I'm Austin."

"Nice." Glen snorted at the lame joke, reminding his siblings that he was also there.

"Can we get chick-fil-a?"

"Whatever Emerson wants, babe."

"He wants chick-fil-a," Hayes stated with finality .

Spoken like a little sister who knew she had her older brother wrapped around her finger.

Austin held up his index finger, "No. Hayes. Let Sonny make his own decision. It's his weekend."

Hayes slouched, folding her arms across her chest as her frown deepened. When Glen kept snickering at her mild scolding, her hand darted out and smacked him in the shoulder.

Glen gasped. "Woah, not cool, Hayes. Keep your hands to yourself."

Hayes scrunched her nose, wondering when Glen became such a drama queen like Francis. When the boy winked at her with a mischievous smirk, she made a fist and went to punch him.

A large hand caught her smaller hand before she could reach her target, the fingers enclosing around her fist. Austin returned her hand back to her lap.

"What was my one rule for you guys?"

The sound of Austin's voice pulled her fighting gaze away from Glen and to the eldest brother. Hayes wasn't too sure if it was a rhetorical question or not.

Whoopsies.

A sudden jab to her side took her off-guard, especially when it made her giggle instead of flinch from pain. The confusion resolved when another poke attacked her other, very ticklish side.

Hayes was absolutely done for, dissolving into a fit of genuine Sunshine laughter as Austin and Glen tag-teamed against her. That was fair punishment for her for ignoring his rule.

The girl's limbs flailed around as she twisted and turned, trying to protect her sides, only for Austin to tickle her neck and Glen went for behind the knee.

"I'm sorry," Hayes shrieked in laughter, a few tears escaping as reflex from all the giggles. Her brothers didn't accept that apology yet, not relenting. "I didn't hit him! It was a love tap."

Austin snorted at that.

A loud rumbling sound that seemed like a never-ending long five seconds, disrupted their fun.

It startled the heck out of Glen, making him flinch back and his shoulders lift towards his ears. His grip on the sweatshirt tightened, his knuckles turning nearly white.

"That was not my stomach," Hayes said after an awkward second of silence.

Austin could only shake his head as he patted Glen's knee in comfort. That was their signal to leave. Copy, loud and clear.

Thunder struck again, which got Glen up and moving, though not very far. He strolled to the bottom of the three steps that led out of the dugout and onto the field. He didn't climb the steps, instead taking up his pacing routine and walked back to Austin and Hayes.

And since thunder meant lightning, the guys came running over to the side from the outfield lickety-split.

When thunder roars, get your ass indoors.

They knew not to mess around with storms, especially when the equipment they used included metal bats. Emerson and Drew hustled into the dugout, grabbing their sports bags after double checking everything was properly put away.

"Everyone have all their stuff?" Austin called out to them as he offered his hand to Hayes. When she grabbed it, he pulled her up from the bench and onto her feet.