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"So, kids, what's on the schedule for today?" Michael slid himself under Calum's legs, who had Ashton in his lap, with Luke sprawled across the younger lad's thighs.

"My sister was wondering if we could babysit for her. She's supposed to take care of three kids," Ash whispered, so that even Michael could barely hear, never mind the four teenagers across the table.

"Want to take care of three kids with us?" Luke offered to the seniors. Getting an agreement from his other two best friends wasn't necessary, they were all happy to do whatever Ashton suggested. He rarely came up with an idea himself, instead happy to go along with the other boys, so when he did they leaped at the chance to do what he wanted.

"How old?" Casey asked.

Ashton murmured a response, Calum translating the whisper. "Four months and two twelve-year-olds."

Casey nodded slightly, glancing at the three girls to his right. They exchanged agreeable nods, before Nia spoke. "Sure," she smiled. "But if we're babysitting two twelve-year-olds, does that mean they're like, troublesome twins or something?"

   Ashton nodded immediately.

"Hi Ashton, darling, how're—"

"Agh! Bianca, Brittany, clean up this whipped cream bomb!"

"—you? Thank you so much for stepping in, if you practically raised Lauren—lovely girl, by the way—I'm sure you'll be great." Jenna Joseph smiled sweetly, absentmindedly smoothing her artfully styled hair. She wore a fancy black cocktail dress, and her husband soon appeared in a black suit.

   "Hey, guys," Tyler greeted, waving at the eight teenagers on his front step. A sudden, shrill screech came from somewhere in the house, and he sighed. "Why do I get the feeling you still need more people to control those girls," he muttered, though his eyes were fond at the thought of his kids. The man paused for a few moments, before wrapping an arm around Jenna's shoulders, poised to exit. "Good luck, Ashton. We'll be back late tonight," he said with a slight smile, before he and his grinning wife exited the house.

The group entered the house, barely closing the door before a blonde kid was sprinting past with a brunette trailing her. "Give me my fucking phone!" the dark-haired girl shouted. Calum reached out and caught the girl, hands grabbing her wrists and sending her legs swinging up. "Oh, hey," she greeted, before kicking the ebony haired lad in his family jewels.

Calum keeled over, groaning in pain. The twelve-year-old smiled at the other seven teenagers, before jogging after her sister, shouting profanities that had even the eighteen-year-olds wincing.

"You guys can go take care of the baby, I'll get Bianca and Brittany to calm down," Ashton whispered, smiling reassuringly in the directions of his mates. They looked unsure, as even his three best friends hadn't seen the shy boy in the presence of kids. Even so, the seven seniors trekked up the carpeted stairs, into the baby's room.

Billy, the big blue-eyed boy, blinked up at them, kicking his little feet. Luke cooed, deserving a soft gurgle from the child. "Hey, Billy," the blonde said, lifting the small child. Luke made a silly face, puffing his cheeks and slightly sticking out his pink tongue. Billy smiled his wide, toothless grin, mimicking the blonde with his own small tongue.

   Rena laughed, joining Luke in making faces, and the group of seven spent twenty minutes cooing over the child, all while listening for any signs of how Ashton was getting on with the fraternal twins. They were soon met with an answer.

The pastel-haired lad entered the nursery, hair wet in a way that looked like he'd messily toweled some type of sauce out of the curls. Whipped cream, Calum guessed, as there was a dollop of the white stuff on his smooth nose. His jeans and fuzzy, baby blue sweater were stained with darker patches of the substance.

"C'mere, baby," Calum murmured, tugging his mate closer. He smeared the whipped cream off Ashton's nose with his thumb, kissing the tanned skin it'd revealed.

The younger boy giggled softly, cheeks tinting pink as he gently linked his and Cal's hands. "The girls are watching TV," he whispered, but the decibel level was just high enough so that Rena, Casey, Luke, and Michael, who stood closest, were able to make out the words. It had his best friends smiling in surprise, before the statement fully processed in their minds, and they went wide-eyed.

"You are the epitome of talented," Luke decided, giggling happily and using the moment as an excuse to kiss Ashton's blushing cheeks and nose. "You're going to be a great dad," he added. Calum, Michael, and Luke all gained an indiscernible look.

   "Daddy," Michael quipped, filling the silence. It buried their expressions flawlessly, and had the group chuckling.

   "There are children downstairs, and right there!" Luke said, though he followed up with a carefree laugh.

   "Did you hear those kids? I'm pretty sure they swear more than I do," Rena commented, absentmindedly fiddling with her brightly colored dreadlocks. "Speaking of, we should probably check on those kids," she added.

   Michel, who'd ended up holding Billy somewhere along the way, handed the four-month-old over. Ashton accepted the baby with a smile, rocking him gently and mindlessly adjusting the little blue booties on Billy's tiny feet. With light steps, Ash followed Michael down the stairs, Calum's hand linked with his, and Luke behind the boy.

   A loud screech suddenly reverberated up the stairs, followed by the signature, wet thunk Ashton learned to associate with the twins' whipped cream bombs. "Oh no," he whispered, and the group sped up on the stairs. This babysitting job was not going to be easy.

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