Michael made his breakfast (you assumed he did, anyway) and went back to his room without another word. You sat back down on the couch with a sigh. Would the two of you ever get along? It's not like you wanted a rivalry with him...
You weren't sure how long you stared at the wall, just thinking. Being lost in your thoughts made you easy prey. Elizabeth jumped on you out of nowhere, causing you to let out a screech. She giggled at your reaction, apparently pleased with her work.
"Jeez, Y/N! It's just me, silly!" You took deep breaths as your heart rate slowly went back to its natural rhythm.
"Sorry, Elizabeth. You really scared me." You ruffled her hair. She grabbed your wrist.
"Come on! You've gotta make me some yummy breakfast! Then I can shower and you can brush my hair! And we can play and..." She pulled you into the kitchen, continuing her rambing. Now that you thought about it, you were kind of hungry too...
"Um. Elizabeth, what about Evan? How about you wake him up and we can eat together?"
Her eyes sparkled at the idea. "Really? We can all eat together?"
Your heart nearly shattered. Did the Afton's really not spend quality time together? You couldn't imagine not spending meals with your mom. You flashed her a smile.
"Of course, sweetie. What do you want for breakfast?"
She bounced up and down a little, as if this was the happiest she'd ever been. "Beans on toast, please! Oh, oh! And some eggs! With tea, please!" With that, she darted off.
Maybe it was because you weren't British, but you felt like you didn't understand a thing she said. You stood in the middle of the kitchen, confused. You wanted to ask her what she meant, but she was already gone.
Well... there was still someone else you could ask for help. You sucked up your pride, and made your way down the hallway, where you knew the kids' rooms were.
The first door on your left was closed. One a little further down was cracked open, and you could hear Elizabeth inside. A third door was wide open, revealing a pink room. That told you that Michael's room was the one you were looking at.
You tapped on it a few times, trying not to get Elizabeth's attention. Slowly, the door cracked open. Michael, who was now wearing a shirt, gave you a confused look.
"Can I uh... can I come in for a sec? I have a question."
To your surprise, Michael opened the door for you, letting you inside. His room was full of posters and littered with little scraps of paper. You wondered what that could all be from.
"What did you want?" His tone wasn't as harsh as before, though he still seemed standoff-ish.
A blush crept to your face again. Was it a dumb question? Probably. I mean, certainly it's just what it sounds like, right?
"God, um. This is a really dumb question."
"My opinion of you can't get any lower." Michael said calmly, sitting down on his bed. "Spit it out already."
"What's beans on toast...?"
Silence filled the room. Michael looked at you like you were the dumbest person he'd ever met. To be fair, that was a possibility.
"You're joking. Right? Please tell me you're joking."
You let out a small, awkward, nervous laugh. "Heh! You got me... yeah, just... pulling a little prank on you..." You backed up slowly towards the door. "I'll be going now-"
"Wait." Michael sighed, clearly exasperated. "Come on. I'll show you. I promise, it's so simple even a dumb babysitter like you can figure it out."
He led the way back to the kitchen. Elizabeth sat at the table, Evan across from her. They were too busy with their own conversation to take notice of the two of you.
You watched as Michael pulled out bread, a can of Heinz beans, a carton of eggs, and four tea bags.
"The first step to beans on toast is, well, making the toast." Michael put the bread in the toaster. He pulled out a large glass bowl and poured the can of beans inside. "Next, heat up the beans in the microwave."
He closed the door and began frying the eggs. All of his movements were so fluid, as if he'd done this a million times before. Maybe he had an interest in cooking. Or maybe he was just a good big brother who cooked for his siblings all the time. The thought put a smile on your face.
Between cooking the eggs, he handed you a tea kettle.
"You can handle filling this up with water, right? You don't need a Brit to show you how to do it?" He teased.
"Oh shut up..." You muttered. You walked over to the sink and let the water fill the kettle. Gently placing the lid back on, you walked the kettle back to the stove. Michael turned the heat on for you. Now all you had to do was wait.
"This is the really complicated part." Michael said, pulling the beans out of the microwave. Several pieces of toast were laid out across four plates. "Now, watch closely. The beans go on top of the toast."
You rolled your eyes. Soon enough, your ears were hit with the loud whistling of the tea kettle. You turned off the heat, and poured the hot water into four cups. Michael worked alongside you, finishing the plating.
"Now that is a good breakfast." For the first time since you met him, Michael flashed you a genuine smile. You didn't get to relish in it for too long, though. He turned away from you, grabbing two of the plates.
He set them down in front of his siblings. "Eat up, little devils."
"Hey!" Elizabeth whined. "We're not devils! And besides! We can't start eating yet, Y/N said they'd eat with us too!"
Right on cue, you set down a cup in front of each of them. "I will, Elizabeth. I always keep my word!" You winked.
Michael watched as you grabbed your own plate and cup, taking a seat at the table with his siblings.
He pursed his lips, having an internal debate with himself before he gave in, bringing his own plate and cup to the table.