( I should note here that while the Proxys do kill humans, compared to other fanfics/fandom as a whole, the Proxys in my universe only have a small amount of human victims; like they only maybe make up one percent of what they kill. Why? Well, because unless he has a specific reason to have the Proxys do it, why wouldn't he just kill the humans himself? I plan on elaborating more as well as giving you an insight as to what they actually kill the majority of time in my universe in the last chapter of this, however that won't be for a bit. Likes and comments are much appreciated! )
Toby had been gone for a few days at most; another human objective among their usual, more unsavory jobs having been given to Toby in the process. It was getting well towards dinner when he heard the front door open and Toby shout his greetings as he entered. Brian naturally and quickly prying himself from Tim's grasp as they lay in their shared bed with Tim reading away to go and greet their boyfriend after returning from such a long and tedious endeavor. Tim could only smirk, deciding to finish off the chapter he was reading before joining him.
It was a good twenty or so minutes before doing so. Tim was greeted with harmonic laughter as he trotted down the stairs -- and Brian standing near the base, looking into the living room with a hand over his mouth as he watched whatever was happening unfold. Upon hearing Tim approach, Brian turned only to quickly motion Tim to join him before returning to his watching. Confused, Tim quickly moved beside him --
Only to be greeted by Toby in the middle of the living room, a babe no older than a year before him on a blanket as Toby did a mirrade of funny looking dance moves, the babe laughing heartily at him alongside Nat and Jane, who's laughter was almost uncontrollable, was also there; though wether it was because of Toby or the babe's laughter, one couldn't be too sure. A smile quickly grew on Tim's face as he watched, somewhat mesmerized, as the scene unfolded before him. It took a moment before Toby noticed Tim had even joined Brian in watching him.
"Oh, hey Tim!" he said happily with a wave. "You wanna see something really funny?"
Tim could only nod enthusiastically as the girls tried to quell their laughter, Natalie practically begging for Toby to stop before she pissed herself from laughter.
Turning back to the babe, who's laughter had also somewhat quelled, only for Toby to give his best, cartoonish-like villainous laugh with his head thrown back -- to which the babe tried it's best to mimic, even throwing its head back. This caused Jane and Natalie to screech with laughter that the babe quickly joined in on. Tim instantly grabbed his knees as he doubled over with laughter at such a sound, only doubling ten fold when Toby again did the laugh, and again the babe attempted to mimic it, it's laughter shriller than before. Yet Brian still stood, hand over his mouth with his eyes trained on Toby with an odd glint in his eyes and a smile beneath his hand.
It took a long moment for the laughter to quell, Toby having fallen on his ass in front of the babe with his own laughter.
"I hate you so much," Natalie managed as she wiped a few years from her eyes.
"Bullshit!" was Toby's reply as his gaze shot to Nat. "I'm funnier than hell!"
"Language," Tim chuckled as he composed himself, half stumbling over to Toby and the babe, only to whisk the child into his arms and earning a screech of laughter.
"Tim, it's like, a year old," Jane assured as she stumbled from her chair. "I don't think it'll pick up on that just yet."
"Still," he mused as he bounced the baby in his arms. Toby used Tim standing so close so stand, grabbing onto his legs to pull himself up as he still giggled like a maniac. "You think we have any food it can eat?" he went on to ask as he moved to the kitchen; Brian's eyes only leaving Toby to watch Tim closely before he disappeared into the kitchen.
"Maybe," Jane shrugged as she followed. "Or, at least we can blend some stuff up for it."
"Ew, that sounds disgusting," Natalie mused as she moved from her own seat to join them -- still leaving Toby and Brian in the living room. It took another long moment before Toby realized he was being stared at.
"What?" he asked Brian, tilting his head.
"Nothing," Brian replied, finally removing his hand from his face as he ever so slowly crossed the living room to join the other, "just -- nothing."
"Doesn't seem like nothing," Toby said with a large grin as hands slowly moved around his waist, leaning forward to steal a kiss from Brian. Brian smirked, leaning forward to pepper more kisses onto Toby and causing the brunette laugh gleefully at the affection.
"Hey!" came Jane's voice as she popped her head out of the kitchen , slamming a hand against the outside wall. "If you guys would stop making out for two seconds -- Tim said he'd try the blended bullshit he's about to make before he feeds it to baby if you wanna watch him barf."
"I said language, Jane!" Tim called from the kitchen as the blender sounded.
Toby didn't need much pressuring, instantly pulled Brian into the kitchen alongside him. Though that smile and odd look in his eyes never seemed to leave as his eyes trained on Toby, seemingly content to have the ability to watch these moments.
***
Tim awoke to neither of his partners nor the babe in bed with him anymore. Confused, Tim pulled himself from the comfort of the bed to go and search for them. It didn't take long, really; the laughter from downstairs rather telling.
Heading down, Tim found the oddest sight - both Toby and the babe propped up against the wall blocking the kitchen from the living room, laughing with unadulterated glee. In front of them, Hoody in all his hooded glory was jumping and dancing about, arms inside his mustard colored hoody with the arms swinging wildly about. The only odd thing here seemed to be the mouth on his ski mask, which had changed from a deep frown to a rather large smile.
"The fuck?" Tim finally managed to ask with a grin after quietly getting to the bottom of the stairs. The three in question -- or, at least Hoody and Toby -- instantly turned their gaze to Tim -
Only for Hoody to slip and fall mid laughter fueled dance, landing on the ground face first with a reverberated thud. This cause the two against the wall to laugh harder, Toby grabbing at his sides as he threw his head back. This seemed to please Hoody as he glanced at them, before attempting to get back to his feet -- without the use of his hands, of course, causing him to inadvertently flop around like a fish out of water and thus causing Toby and the babe to laugh even harder. Tim chuckled, rolling his eyes as he approached the two, moving to help Hoody to his feet.
"Can I ask why we're up at three in the morning?" Tim asked as he went to help Boost release his arms from the jacket.
"Th-the baby woke up and couldn't get back to sleep," Toby stuttered out through his dying laughter, moving to grab said baby before standing, "s-so I came downstairs with it so it wouldn't wake you guys an-and Hoody followed and -"
His speech was broken by a fit of giggles and twitches as he rocked the baby in his arms. Tim looked to Hoody, who modded enthusiastically. Tim rolled his eyes.
"Well, we should probably head back to bed," he mused with a chuckle as he moved to herd the two back upstairs, "before someone comes down and tries to kill us for waking them up."
Hoody nodded, moving to head up the stairs as Toby turned and --
"Aw, already?" Toby whines, eyes suddenly locking onto the small hallway leading to the front door. "We were having fun!"
Holdy stopped half way up the stairs as Tim turned to see who Toby was talking to -- and having a mild heart attack as the Operator strode forward in the darkness. The Tall Man nodded after a moment, hand stretching out towards Toby in silent order. Toby looked to the baby, before sighing and planting a kiss atop it's head before offering it to his boss. Oddly, Slenderman cradled it correctly as could be as he took it from Toby, giving the three a curt nod before turning and striding out the front door that closed silently behind.
This was a common occurrence with children they didn't kill (which they didn't kill often if at all, surprisingly); take them, bring them to the house and watch over and take care of them until the Tall Man came to collect them and take them elsewhere. Where, they weren't too sure and didn't want to risk prying in case that angered the entity. Toby almost seems upset as he watched them go, before sighing and following Tim's tugging upstairs to where Hoody was waiting for them at their bedroom door.
"Wish we could've kept it," Toby muttered as they neared the door, "for just a little bit longer."
"Babies are a handful, Tobes," Tim assured. "Plus, they don't belong in a place like this."
Toby nodded solemnly -- then perked up alongside the others as a door further down creaked open.
"H-hello?" came the sniffling voice of Lazarus's. She sounded like she'd be crying.
"Everything alright, Laz?" Tim asked, concerned, and even as Toby quickly scuttled over to the girl.
"H-had a b-bad dream," the girl sniffled, wiping at her face with her free hand and demonic looking Tellytubby in the other.
"Daw, poor thing," Toby said, instantly lifting the girl into her arms. Hoody's face snapped to Tim, and the black haired man sighed with faux reluctance.
"Wanna sleep with us tonight?" he asked, instantly causing Toby to perk up excitedly.
"P-please," the girl said -- and squealing alongside Toby as the ticking killer rushed into the bedroom behind an equally estatic Hoody where they unceremoniously plopped onto their already somewhat crammed bed.
Tim merely rolled his eyes, pausing a moment to make sure no one else was awake before entering the room and shutting the door behind him before joining the other three in bed. They couldn't sleep as they usually did with Lazarus with them, but Tim supposed that was alright as he plopped on behind Toby; the small girl giggling as she got comfortable in between Toby and Hoody, who almost instantly covered her in an array of protective arms.
A small, lopsided grin appeared on Tim's face as he got comfortable, an arm joining the others as he began to relax.
Tim had never really known the true meaning of family growing up -- but if he supposed this was the closest thing he could get, and he'd be lying if he said it didn't make him happier for it.