"Remember that you love me and always wanted that I finally get my shit together and ask Patrick out," Were the first words my brother, Pete, said as he barged into my room.
I rolled my eyes. What kind of start was that? I put my book down and gave him my full attention. "What do you want?"
"Well first of all, Patrick said yes!" He exclaimed giddily and had the biggest smile on his face.
I couldn't help but smile, too. "That's awesome, Petey!" My twin had crushed on the admittedly cute boy for the longest time and I had finally convinced to talk to him.
"Yeah, and we want to go to the movies," He told me "today."
I groaned. That was what he wanted from me. We babysat in the neighborhood occasionally and today the kids would even stay overnight with us because their parents were going out for the weekend.
"You want me to babysit alone," I stated and stared at him accusingly.
Pete nodded, hope glistening in his eyes along with excitement for his date. It would be cruel if I said no to that. Oh, fuck it. But having a little but if fun wouldn't hurt.
"Please, Y/N, I'll do anything!" He begged.
I contemplated for a moment. "But I can't possibly be alone with three kids."
Pete faltered. "Yeah, I guess Patrick will get that."
Okay, that was enough of me being mean.
"Great for you then that Ray asked to come over and promised his help," I said nonchalantly while I picked my book up again.
Well, I intended to pick it up but my brother had jumped on me and hugged me tightly. "Thank you, thank you thankyouthankyou!"
I laughed. "No problem. No get yourself ready, I bet you said you'll be there in ten minutes or so."
In fact, he grew pale at my words and a glance at the clock. "Actually fifteen!" Pete shouted while already pulling off his shirt and sprinting in his room.
I shook my head at my messy brother. My phone began to ring and I picked it up.
"Hey, can I bring the boys earlier? We have to pick something up first," Mrs Kropp told me without a greeting and sounded like she was already outside and pretty stressed.
Wow, her planning was even worse than Pete's. "I guess but-"
"Great! I'm already on my way." Click.
Hurriedly, I selected Ray's contact and now called him.
"Hello, sorry for the short notice but Pete has a date and the kids are coming earlier so can you maybe get here like now?" I pleaded as I was walking to the living room to make it toddler-friendly.
Ray laughed. "Sounds exactly like your family. I'll be there in five."
As I was checking the fridge for the dinner that at least that was going according to plan, the doorbell rang.
Mrs. Kropp was on the other side with a crying Emerson sitting on her hip, Remington clutching her hand and Sebastian hiding behind her. Okay, I had to give her that she looked like she needed the break. So I put on a smile and took Emerson from her.
Luckily, he liked me and cuddled into me and stopped crying.
"How do you do that? You're seriously the only person who can calm him down so fast," Their mother wondered and gave me the bags with the things for the boys.
I shrugged. "Don't know"
"Thank you for taking them for the weekend by the way. I know you kids normally have better things to do on a Friday evening and I really appreciate that you help us out," She thanked me with an honest smile. After all, she was a sweet person. Just a little overworked sometimes.
"It's no problem, at least if you pay us," I joked and made her chuckle. Sebastian walked up to me so I extended my hand for Remington as well.
"Come in you two, we'll play something and my friend Ray will be there too," I told them, crouching down to their height.
Mrs. Kropp smiled down at me and stated: "I'm going now. Boys be nice, yeah?"
"Mommy, why do you have to go?" Sebastian asked, looking at me unsurely. He wasn't scared of me in particular, but he was the only sibling old enough to process that his mom would leave for longer than normal.
His mother gave all of them a kiss and a hug and promised: "I'll be back in no time and as long as you're waiting, Y/N and her friend will be there, okay?"
Sebastian nodded and let me take him inside. We went into the living room where I placed Emerson softly on the blanket I had put on the floor along with a few toys for him to play with. He was only a year old and just started talking, babbling something to himself.
Remington was more active and pulled me down with him. "Play with me!" He exclaimed and shoved Lego in my hands. I giggled and did as he told me.
Sebastian was playing by himself with a dragon action figure and some cars making cute noises.
Then Pete opened the door, shouting: "I'm going now!" And Ray stood on the other side apparently because he was suddenly there next to me, crouching down.
"You're there already!" I cheered and hugged him. Remington stopped in his tracks and stared at us for a moment.
Ray smiled and nodded. "Yeah I am."
"Are you Y/N's friend she said that will play with us?" Sebastian asked him shyly.
"That's me, buddy and what's your name?" He asked him kindly as he crouched down to us.
"I'm Sebby!" The kid exclaimed. "Can you play with me?"
Ray smiled happily and stretched out his long legs on the floor. "Sure, what should I do?"
"I'm the transformer and you are the evil man who wants to destroy the city!" Sebastian instructed and Ray obliged.
It was adorable to watch him play and pull silly faces at the laughing kids. Remington joined in on them at some point and jumped nearly on top of Ray in his enthusiasm. Luckily, he could catch the kid and tickled him what resulted in a laughing fit.
Emerson crawled to me while I was just watching them silently. He nudged me to open my arms and then climbed in my lap.
I leaned against the sofa behind me, pulling the toddler closer as he put his head on my chest, fists balling in my shirt to steady himself. Emerson looked awfully tired right now so I let him rest a little bit on me.
While I was used as a pillow, Ray had to be full on entertainer and was nailing it perfectly. Somehow he got both Remington's and Sebastian's demands how he should play fulfilled and made them giggle the whole time. Ray himself seemed so content in the situation that I knew for sure that he would be a good father some day.
"Y/N?" Remington asked at some point.
I had been lost in thought for a moment, staring at Ray's lips and wondering how they would feel. Wait what? I couldn't jump him just because he looked adorable with kids. And was a sweetheart overall. And good looking. And my best friend, so stop these fantasies already!
"Yes, sweety?" I reacted maybe a bit too late.
Ray gave me a weird look but shrugged it off.
"I'm hungry," Remington whined and pouted at me.
I glanced at the clock on the wall. "Oh, then I'll make dinner now. Ray do you mind staying with Rem and Seb? I'll take Emerson with me in the kitchen."
Ray shook his head. "Of course not, I'll play with my little friends here. "
There goes my heart. I got up, the sleepy Emerson on my hip.
"Hey, sweetheart don't fall asleep," I whispered in his ear and he only groaned cutely.
"Ray?" I whisper-shouted.
"Yeah?"
"Can you bring me another blanket really quick?"
Two seconds later, Ray came in with it and knew immediately for what I wanted it, so he placed it on the floor while I tried to keep the sleepy boy awake.
Ray offered his hands and took the toddler from me, swinging him around gently to wake him up. Emerson giggled and opened his arms like an airplane.
"Whoosh!" My best friend made and then sat the kid down.
"I'll go back to the other two, okay? Or should I help you here?" He offered and I shook my head in response.
"Nah, I'm good but make sure that Remington and Sebastian don't kill themselves, " I pulled out a pot to start the soup for the kids and a pan for our food.
An hour later we sat on the sofa, Emerson fast asleep on my lap and Ray with Remington on his lap and Sebastian cuddled against his side reading a book quietly to them. The boys looked like they would fall asleep any second but wanted to hear the end of the story. Every other minute, one of them yawned or rubbed their eyes but they stayed stubborn.
And suddenly I could see us two sitting like this, in ten years our own child between us. Ray would read them with silly voices and make them giggle constantly and I would thank my lucky stars for them. And then I would lean over and caress my child's head and kiss Ray.
Oh God, I was in love with him.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" Ray suddenly whispered, staring at me funny.
I probably turned beet red and began playing with Emerson's hair. "Uhhh... The kids have to go to bed."
The suspicious expression was now accompanied by a smile at my obvious embarrassment but he didn't comment on it and picked Remington up.
We brought the kids to bed, the two older ones falling asleep almost immediately while Emerson just kept on sleeping.
As we sat back on the sofa, Ray turned to me. "So what was that about?"
I hid my face in my hands. "Nothing?"
Ray laughed. "Y/N, I know you for the most part of our lives now and I can tell when something's bothering you. And two minutes ago you looked like you completely zoned out. Come on, it can't be that bad."
"I only realised something," I mumbled behind my hands.
"And what? That you love me or anything?" He giggled and I couldn't form words anymore. Could he read me that easily? Or was it simply that obvious? And how long have I been in love with him before realising it?
Ray's laughter stopped after a moment and he stared at me. "Wait, you are in love with me?"
"And what if I was?" I grumbled, kind of mad at this reaction. Was it that unbelievable?
His expression became soft and he turned his body to me. "Then I could tell you that I waited for this moment for like two years," He said with tenderness but also a good portion of nervousness in his voice.
"What?" Now it was my turn to be more than confused. It was really that easy?
Ray shrugged. "I am pretty much in love with you, Y/N. Can you please say something now?" He added insecurely.
I leaped forward and cupped his face, already almost straddling him. "Would you kiss me then, please?"
The smile on his face was almost touching his ears. "Gladly." And then he did.