"Why do you talk so funny?"
Charlie's P.O.V
"When is Luke coming?!" Alana yelled as she ran to the window & looked outside at our driveway. "Can Luke come now? I want him to come over."
"He'll be over soon, promise."
The twins were stoked to have Luke babysitting with me tonight. Austin liked Luke because he liked having another guy around & Alana just liked any attention & Luke gave it to her.
A bit later, Amy & Thomas left for their business dinner & not too long after, Luke arrived.
"Hi Luke." I kissed him as I let him in. Before I could even close the door, the twins ran into the entry way & each hugged one of Luke's legs.
"Yay! You're here!" Alana giggled. "You're late mister."
"Well I'm sorry. I was working." Luke laughed, shaking the kids from his legs & walking inside.
"Where do you work?" Austin asked him as he led him into the play room.
"I sing."
"You sing for a job!?" Alana was shocked. "That's so cool. Are you a rockstar?"
"I'm trying to be but I'm probably an epic fail."
"No you're not." I smiled at him. There was no way he was a failure with music."He's kind of like a rockstar, yea."
Austin & Luke played with his train set for awhile while Alana & I had a tea party on the other side of the room.
"Luke?" Alana asked, leaving our tea party & joining the train station. She took a seat on his lap.
"Yes?"
"Why do you talk so funny?"
"Alana, that's not very nice." I told her.
"But it's true. He talks different."
"It's fine Charlie. Well, it's because I'm not from here."
"What do you mean? Are you on vacation?" Austin lost interest in his trains & he joined this conversation.
"It's like a vacation, yea. I'm from Australia, ever heard of it?" Both kids shook their heads no. "Well, it's very far away."
"Do you have to take a hair-plane to get there?" Austin asked. No matter how many times I corrected him, he insisted on calling it a hair-plane.
"Yep. Sometimes two hair-planes." Luke giggled. "It's that far away."
"Wow!" Austin opened his mouth in shock. "How long is your vacation?"
"It's a few weeks but I'll be back for another vacation a few weeks after that so I'll come visit again." He told the kids.
"What about Charlie?" Alana asked.
"What about her?"
"Is Charlie going to go to Aus- Aus-" She couldn't pronounce it so Luke just giggled & helped her out.
"Australia. & I hope someday but not right now. She's saying in L.A with you guys."
"Good." Alana sighed. "We need her here. She's our special sister."
The kids kind of understood that I wasn't technically their sister but there was still a part they didn't understand so the happy medium was calling me their special sister.
When I first moved in with Amy & Thomas, the twins were barely two & there was one other foster kid living in the house but he was 18 & he moved out fairly quickly after I joined the family so the twins don't really remember him but they do remember growing up with me around. They were the closest I'd ever have to siblings.
After playing for awhile, it was time for dinner.
"Do you guys want to help me cook or do you want to keep playing?"
"I wanna cook!" Alana jumped off of Luke's lap & then she ran into the kitchen.
"Can I play with play-dough while you cook?" Austin asked.
"Of course. Just bring it into the kitchen. Luke, can you help him carry it?"
"Sure, we'll meet 'cha in the kitchen in a minute."
I went to find Alana. She was already in the pantry taking out two boxes of mac 'n cheese. That's basically all I can cook & they knew it.
"Spongebob? That's the kind you want?" I asked as she handed me the box.
"Yes please."
"Alright but we have to have carrots & some apple with it too, okay?"
"Yea, I know I know."
Then the two boys came in.
"Yes!" Luke smiled when he saw the boxes. "My favorite."
"Yours too?" I laughed at him. "Are you six too?"
"Sometimes."
Luke & Austin sat at the table & began making things with the play-dough while Alana pulled over a chair to stand on & she helped me wash & then cut up the apples & carrots while the pasta cooked.
"Are you going to make Luke eat his fruits & vegetables too?" Austin asked as he saw me cutting up the apples.
"I love apples, so yea, I'll eat them too." Luke smiled at the kid. I'm so glad he agreed because it's a pain to get the kids to eat healthy so if Luke ate them, I knew the kids would too. I mouthed a 'thank you' to him & he nodded, he understood.
"Alright, clean up the play-dough & go wash your hands." I told the kids as I got their plates ready. "Luke, you too." I laughed as he went into the bathroom with the kids to make sure they used soap. Then the four of us sat at the table together.
"Can we watch a Christmas movie after this?" Austin asked.
"Christmas is in two weeks." Alana pointed to the countdown they had on the refrigerator. "Can we?"
"Of course. You two have to agree on the same movie though, okay? I don't want any fighting otherwise Luke picks & he may pick a really boring, old, black & white movie." Personally I loved the classic movies but the kids didn't.
Once they finished eating everything on their plate, I quickly did the dishes while Luke went to help the kids decide on a movie & then I joined them by the t.v.
"What did we decide on?"
"How the Grinch Stole Christmas." Austin practically threw the box at me. "We all agreed."
"Good choice." I set up the movie & then I went to join everyone on the couch.
Luke was sitting in the middle of the couch, Alana on the left side of him & then he patted on his right side & smiled. "There's room for you too."
Once I sat next to him, Austin sat almost on top of me so it was a giant cuddle session.
Jim Carrey as the Grinch scared Alana a couple times so she covered her head a lot & Luke kept telling her that he was keeping her safe & my heart was melting. He was so good with them. By the end of the movie, both kids seemed fairly tired.
"Ready for bed?"
They lazily nodded & I took Austin's hand, walking him upstairs with Alana on Luke's back behind us.
I helped them brush their teeth & then they changed into their pajamas.
"Can you read us a story?" Alana asked Luke as she walked into Austin's room, where we currently were.
"Can I read them a story?" Luke asked me.
"Yea, go for it."
Luke sat in Austin's bed & then Alana sat on his lap & I sat on the end of the bed as Luke read a Curious George book to them. It was the cutest moment of the night. Luke had a very nurturing side to him, I liked it.
Once the book was over, Austin turned & he went right to bed. Luke carried Alana across the hall into her room & then he tucked her in before meeting me by the stairs.
"You did so well." I smiled at him.
"Thanks. What time are Amy & Thomas suppose to be home?"
"Around 10:30 or 11:00 I think they said."
"So we have two hours alone?" Luke asked as he followed me back downstairs. "Great. I get to babysit & I get a little date night."
"Mhm. Come cuddle with me." I grabbed his hand & then we went back onto the couch. He wrapped a blanket around us & then he pulled me in.
"You're so cuddly, Charlie. I just wanna squeeze ya all night."
"Feel free too." I giggled.
"& that giggle. It gets me every damn time."
"Stop."
"I mean it, I love your giggle." He told he, kissing my cheek. "I love how cute it is."
"Wanna know what sucks?" I asked him.
"What sucks?"
"Ever since we spent the night together last weekend after the party, I have a hard time falling asleep because I wished I was laying with you." It was true, ever since I spent the night at their apartment last Saturday, now I only wish to be sleeping next to him.
"I feel the same, Char."
"You do?"
"Yea. Now that I know how great it is to sleep next to you, I don't want to sleep any other way. Maybe we should plan another sleepover, huh?"
"I'd love that."
We spent the next two hours on the couch, sharing random stories & sharing many kisses when I heard the front door open.
"Hi, how was your night? I asked as Amy & Thomas came in.
"A lot of awkward small talk." Thomas laughed. "But it was nice. The kids were okay?"
"They were just fine." Luke answered. "I actually had a lot of fun with them."
"Well good. Sorry we're a little later than expected." Amy said as she took off her heels. I could see the relief on her face, I knew that feeling. "We're gonna head straight to bed. Were you planning on just staying the night, Luke?"
"Uhm." He & I both said at the same time confused as to what to answer that with.
"You can if you want." Thomas said. "It's fine. I know you're leaving for home soon so if you want another night together, we don't mind. Charlie can't shut up about you"
"Uhm, thanks." Luke smiled. "I appreciate that."
"Me too." I smiled, snuggling in closer to Luke as they walked upstairs.
"I guess we're getting that sleepover sooner than we expected huh?" Luke laughed, grabbing my hand & leading me down to my room. "& I'm glad your room is in the basement."
"& why is that?"
"I don't have to kiss you quietly." He smirked as we walked into my bedroom. "I can't kiss you when the kids are around & I've been holding in really kissing you."
"We just spent the last two hours like making out though."
"Yea but I was being careful because the kids could have come downstairs at anytime or looked & seen us. It was like PG. Now, I don't have to hold back."
I just rolled my eyes at him before Luke & I jumped onto my bed & we fell right into each other's arms, of course kissing a lot but then falling asleep. The safety I felt next to Luke, I can't even describe.
We woke up late morning & then he & I stopped at a little cafe for breakfast before I drove him back to his apartment.
"Date tonight, yea?" He said, as he was getting out of my car.
"Just a night of me & you." I smiled before he shut the door & went inside.
A night of just Luke & I. What could be better.
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A/N i've returned. sorry for like a week between updates or however long it's been. i actually have been a good student & i've been studying for finals & i've been saying goodbye to friends because i'm going abroad next semester so i won't see some of my friends until august when school starts next year & so many tearful goodbyes. but yea.
luke's cute. i love him. that's all. his butt picture & calum on the floor with the dog in the tie is what is getting me through my last two finals tomorrow. thank you 5sos.
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cathy