start a fight [muke af]

xxxiv

Orin looked eerily like Calum. He had the same tan skin and almond-shaped eyes. His cheekbones were high yet his cheeks were squishy. Nathaniel must look more like his mother, his lighter skin tone yet same dark eyes. He had straighter hair than his brother, but the same deep color.

Luke sat down next to them slowly, both sets of eyes watching his every move.

"Do you fight my daddy?" Orin asked before putting his fingers into his mouth.

"We train-fight, but not fight-fight," he responded. Luke crossed his legs over one another resting his arm on the back of the couch.

"Are you the one that nose broke?" The eldest asked this time, his eyes staring up at Luke.

Luke formed his mouth into a straight line, biting at his lower lip. "Yeah, that's me."

They were interrupted by more noise coming from the opposite side of the house. A higher-pitched voice scolding Calum for something he had done. Cal was also the type to always do something wrong.

They walked into the room, this time with three children. Calum had a toddler on his hip, another one holding his index finger and trailing behind him. Luke supposed it was the twins. His wife — a petite yet strong women — held a baby against her chest, trying to burp the smallest one.

Luke tried not to stare at the large bump on her stomach, but Calum wasn't kidding when he said she was very pregnant.

"Honey, this is Luke. Luke, this is my wife." Calum sat next to his eldest son, taking the toddler from his side and placing her in front of him as he slowly made her giggle and laugh.

Luke stood up, holding out his hand.

He figured that once parents start popping out kids, their balance becomes supreme. He watched her balance a baby on one hand, a towel over her shoulder, all as she shook Luke's hand.

"Nice to meet you, Luke. We've heard lots of good." She smiled at him, but Luke could see the glow of stress underneath her eyes.

"Do you want help with something? I don't want to just be another mouth to feed," he offered, knowing his mother would hate him if he didn't help a pregnant woman.

"Can you burp Tanner for me? Calum, show him how." Eun handed over the fourteen-month-year-old.

Luke looked at the baby, his tan skin soft and glowing in the living room lights. He was so small, Luke couldn't understand how a human could be so small. Tanner's entire hand was the size of two of Luke's fingers. He held the baby, carefully siting back down next to Orin.

"Trade babies with me," Calum said, "I don't trust you to burp him."

Luke looked over, now noticing Calum had Katrina on his lap, Colin to his right, and Nathaniel to his left. Orin was looking at his father was wide eyes, watching his every move. Luke could see how in love Cal's kids were with Calum.

He held up the baby — one hand below Tanner's bum, another on his neck — and gave him to Calum.

Katrina crawled over to Luke, placing herself on his lap instead. She curled up into him, resting her head on his chest and her feet across his lap. "Daddy said you're pretty," she said, causing Luke to laugh and look over at his coworker.

"Kat, I did not say that."

"You call him Pretty Boy!" Nath joined in, defending his little sister.

Luke raised his eyebrows and crossed his arms. He should've been used to derogatory terms from the inmates (and his older brothers), but he wasn't.

"I meant it in a nice way," Cal said, giving him a big grin. He continued to pat the youngest on the back, waiting for him to hiccup or burp or something. Luke didn't know how babies worked, he was nineteen!

Public school didn't teach him this stuff.

Katrina looked up at Luke, reaching up to pull at the necklace dangling from his neck. Luke looked down at her, hoping she wouldn't accidentally choke him or anything. She had a lighter shade of hair than any of her siblings, it was a dark brown falling long down her back in messy waves. She was also the palest, resembling her mother a great deal.

Her twin, Colin, was more like the other boys. His skin was darker, his hair was curly and black.

Tanner was incredibly small, he seemed so fragile. Luke couldn't understand how babies were able to survive that small and soft. Luke couldn't believe that he was once a baby that small, too.

Eun came back into the room, flattening out her blouse and wiping her dark hair from her eyes. "Why don't you take the kids outside, Cal? They were very hyper today."

"We're always hyper," Nath said, rolling onto his back and touching his toes.

Eun breathed out, trying to control her temper. She has obviously had quite a day. Luke knew she and Calum were young, no older than twenty-five. He figured they both matured far past their years when the babies kept coming.

Luke got up after Katrina jumped from his lap. She held his hand, leading him outside. Her many brothers ran out in front of her, dragging Calum into the big green space.

Luke gave Cal's wife another smile before following them outside. He felt like Eun was a nice, classy women. He knew his mother would befriend her quickly which meant that Luke should befriend her, too.

Nath and Orin automatically started to climb up a large, dead tree next to their playground, betting who could get up their faster. Nath had the advantage—being four years older.

Calum handed Tanner to Luke once more, freeing his hands to push Colin and Katrina on their special swings. Cal was a careful dad, but Luke could see he was a fun dad, too. He loved his kids and his goal in life seemed to be making them smile.

Luke held Tanner close to his chest, looking down at him. His eyes were open wide, scanning the area around him. He was reached up towards Luke, grabbing at his nose and trying to pull at his hair.

"So, Luke, you never finished your story about good ol' Clifford," Calum started the conversation up again, one Luke was hoping he'd forget about.

"There's not much more to tell. My parents don't approve of him. That's that."

"Do you think you're gonna, like, get together, though?" Cal held the back of the swings of the twins, watching them giggle and swing their legs before he let go, letting them swing out once more.

"I think so, but maybe I'm just Michael's boytoy, you know?" Luke looked at all the kids, making sure none of them were breaking legs or anything. "Are you sure we should be having this conversation right now?"

"I could be recruiting you for a porno right now and they wouldn't understand." Calum was exhausted from a long day at work leading to a long work out with Luke, but he knew he had to be there for his kids. He wanted to pass out on the couch, but Cal could never do that to Eun, or the kids. "You love him, don't you?"

"I wouldn't say that." Luke shrugged. He continued to look down Tanner, finally understanding most people wanted kids. Tanner smiled and giggled and made Luke smile and giggle. "Mike's just something special."

"It's gonna be okay, Luke, you know that. I can't wait for your wedding. Are you gonna invite Ashton? That would be funny."

Luke rolled his eyes. "Stop it."

He didn't like going to his parents for advice and he didn't like going to his coworker for advice. He felt like maybe he wasn't ready for any of this. Luke often feels like a child and he's sick of it. He's sick of being a child.