#she’s standing like she’s gonna tell her mom she frew up

[lochlot-moved]

Emily please girl iron ur shirt

[letmeletmetrashyourlove]

Duo (Pt. 1)

(Gif credit: borhapmovie) 

Author’s Note: I’ve been sitting on this guy for a while trying to figure out where I want to take the story and I think I have it figured out! Part 1 of ??? 5 maybe???? 

Summary: Y/N’s a single mother of twins who lives in a two bedroom apartment across the hall from a Uni student who seems more than willing to help. 

                                                           ***

          “Mumma?”

I awoke to my shoulder being gently shaken by my son Leo. He stood at the side of the bed, stuffed dinosaur clutched in one hand, the other rested on his belly.

          “Yes, sweet boy?” I asked, rolling over to face him. It wasn’t unusual for him to come in in the middle of the night, though he usually tiptoed up as not to wake me before snuggling himself under the covers beside me.

          “I frew up.” He murmured, shuffling his feet with his eyes trained on the floor.

          “You threw up?” I yawned, sitting up slowly and rubbing my eyes. They landed on the clock, telling me it was well past 2am. The rhythm of rain on the roof was doing little to coax me out of sleep.

          “Uh huh.”

          “Does your tummy hurt?” I asked, forcing myself to sit up so I wouldn’t fall back to sleep while Leo was still trying to talk to me. I threw my legs over the side of the bed, my socked feet hitting the floor with a soft thud.

          “Uh huh.” He let out a slight hiccup before wiping his mouth with the sleeve of his pjs.

I reached out for him, pulling him to stand between my legs and wrapping my arms around him. I pressed a kiss to the top of his head,

          “Okay, buddy, where’s the mess?” I asked against his hair.

He took my hand and led me into his bedroom, pointing to the puke. It was all over his pillowcase, but luckily the rest of the bed and the floor seemed to be clean. Amelia was asleep in her own bed on the other side of the room with Princess Marshmallow curled up at her feet, purring soundly.

          “How about you go climb in my bed while I clean this up, yeah?” I whispered, sweeping his hair from his face. He was overdue for a haircut but he insisted that he liked it long since it made him look even more like his sister.

          “Okay.” He replied, leaving me to clean up the mess. Going by only the light from Leo’s star nightlight, I cautiously peeled the pillowcase from the pillow. I opted to toss it into the trash rather than try to clean it off in the middle of the night, especially with no washing machine in the apartment.

That’s when I heard a belch from across the hall followed by coughing. I let out a sigh as I wandered into the to see the bathroom light on. Luckily, Leo had managed to make it to the toilet this time. He was hunched over it, his chest heaving,

          “Oh, baby.” I pouted, kneeling down beside him.

Now that he was in the light, I could see how pale his face was. I moved to once again sweep his hair from his face, grabbing one of Amelia’s clips off the bathroom counter to pin it back so he wouldn’t make a mess of it.

          “Leo?” Amelia called from the bedroom, “Where’d you go?”

The pitter patter of feet on the hardwood was followed by her peeking her head into the bathroom. She squinted against the light, her hair knotted and standing on end from rolling around in bed.

          “Uh oh.” She said, plugging her nose as she watched Leo gag over the toilet, “Leo has the upset tummy buggies, doesn’t he?”

          “Yeah, sweetheart, go back to bed, I’ve got him,” I told her, shooing her away. The last thing I needed was for the both of them to be sick. Although, if he had it, she had probably already been exposed to whatever bug was causing it.

She stood in the doorway, hands on her hips and chin up,

          “I wanna help!” She declared, brows tightly knit together.

There was no point in telling her no. It was only going to end in a tantrum which is not what Leo needed while he was feeling so poorly. I let out a sigh, rubbing gentle circles on Leo’s back as he eased back from the toilet to sit on his knees.

          “Alright, how about you get him a glass of water, yeah?”

Amelia spun around and padded into the kitchen. She returned a few moments later with a sippy cup full of water.  

          “Here, bub.” She said, handing it to her brother. He offered her a weak appreciative smile before bringing it to his lips. He took a sip from it before immediately throwing up again. The rumbling of his stomach started to drown out the bathroom exhaust fan.

          “How’d he get sick, Mumma?” Amelia asked, sitting on the floor beside me. I brought a hand up to her hair to help work out some of the tangles.

          “I don’t know, baby. Maybe somebody at school was sick too.”

          “You know, sometimes Princess Marshmallow throws up, do you think that’s how he got sick?” She asked, tilting her head at me.

          “Princess Marshmallow throws up because he eats his own hair, not because of a stomach bug,” I explained, trying not to laugh at her question.

She pondered the thought for a moment. She was about to open her mouth to speak again when I interrupted.

          “Amelia, can you get me a wet washcloth?” I asked.

She nodded, her brown hair tumbling in front of her face as she scurried over to the linen closet and grabbed a cloth before stepping up on her little pink step stool to reach the sink. She got the washcloth wet, wringing out the excess water before passing it over to me. I used it to wipe the sweat from Leo’s face before swiping it across his mouth.  

          “Melia.” Leo began, “You’re gonna be sleepy if you don’t go to bed.”

          “Your brother is right. Go to bed, Snap Pea.”

Before they were born, I always called them my peas. Two peas in a pod. When they were born though, it was clear that one was my sweet pea, Leo. Cautious and affectionate. But Amelia was my snap pea. Firey and sassy. Her exhaustion seemed to override her attitude though. She burst out in a yawn before shuffling back to bed.

          “You need anything else, buddy?” I asked Leo, running my finger down his cheek.

          “No. Can you just sit with me?” He whimpered, his tired, watery eyes meeting mine.

          “Of course, baby,” I replied, settling into a more comfortable position on the floor. Leo followed suit, settling himself on my lap, head rested against my chest.

                                                            ***

          “Mumma!” Amelia prodded at my arm, making me wake with a start.

I had fallen asleep sitting on the bathroom floor, my head rested on my arms which were sat on the edge of the tub. Leo was asleep with his head in my lap. At some point during the night, he had peeled off his shirt and it now sat atop a pile of soiled washcloths.

          “What time is it, baby?” I asked, rubbing my eyes.

She padded into the other room, letting out a long ‘ummm’ as she stared at the clock.

          “The big hand is on five and the little hand is on seven.” She said.

7:25. The girl couldn’t have slept in for once in her life?

          “I’m hungry,” Amelia said, rubbing her belly and poking out her bottom lip.

          “Okay.” I yawned, reaching down for Leo’s face. The moment my hand touched his skin, it sent a jolt through me. Heat was radiating off of him and he was still covered in a thin sheen of sweat. I let out a sigh, realizing I would have to get to the pharmacy for some medicine. He woke from the sensation of my cold hand against his face. He sat up abruptly, once again throwing up into the toilet. He gave me a heartbroken look as he curled up on the floor again, head rested on his stuffed dinosaur.

          “I’ll get you some medicine today, okay?” I reassured, rubbing his side gently, “Do you need anything right now?”

He shook his head,  eyes fluttering shut once more as I got up off the floor and took Amelia’s hand.

I made her some toast and scrambled eggs, getting her situated at the table before I stepped out into the hall to check the mailbox for the child support check that was supposed to have arrived two days earlier. When it wasn’t anywhere to be found, I let out a groan.

          “You alright?” A male voice asked.

I turned to see the neighbor from across the hall checking his mail as well. John was an acquaintance, I had him feed Princess Marshmallow and check the mail for me over the summer.

          “Yeah. I just… expecting a check… isn’t here yet.” I replied, flitting through the few pieces of junk mail that were there instead.

          “I uh... heard a lot of coughing and… barfing… last night.” He commented, pulling his own mail from the box and looking through it.

          “You eavesdropping?” It was meant to be a playful quip, but due to exhaustion, it came out as a snap. I shook my head, a silent acknowledgment of my harsh tone, “That was Leo.”

          “Is he feeling any better?”

          “I think he’s fallen back to sleep now, finally.” I sighed, leaning against the wall.

          “You look exhausted.” He commented, looking me up and down.

          “I was up with him all night,” I said, running my hand over my hair that I had piled on top of my head in an attempt to keep it out of my face.

          “I uh… If you ever need any help with an-”

          “I’m perfectly capable of taking care of my own children.” I barked, crossing my arms over my chest. As a single mom of twins, everybody seemed to have a different opinion on how I should be taking care of my children. Over the years, my patience for patronizing had fizzled out, putting me on the defense. Especially towards people who didn’t have children themselves.

          “I didn’t say you weren’t!” He threw his hands up in surrender as he took a few steps back.

          “I-” I sighed, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to yell.” I stammered, looking to my feet. They were clad in mismatched socks with holes in the toes, which somehow seemed like the perfect metaphor for how I felt.

          “It’s alright,” John replied.

I don’t know why, but the sudden urge to vent to him overcame me. Perhaps it was his charming, inviting smile. How soft he looked in his plaid PJs. Or maybe it was that my verbal filter didn’t work on fewer than 5 hours of sleep.

          “Sorry… I just...I have to go get Leo some medicine but I can’t take him with me, he’s still waking up to puke every fifteen minutes.”

          “I could stay and watch him for you while you go.” He offered. When the words flew from his mouth, he immediately seemed to know it was an inappropriate thing to offer. Sure, we’d been neighbors for a couple of years, but that certainly didn’t make him trustworthy enough to watch my kids for me while I was away. I let out a scoff and shook my head.

          “What? I took care of Princess Marshmallow.”

          “Well, a cat is quite different than children.”

          “Can’t be that different.”

I knew he was joking, and in any other situation I would’ve laughed but I was far too tired and worried about Leo. Instead, I shot him a glare.

          “Alright, how about I go pick up the medicine for you then?” He offered, “Just tell me what to get.”

I stared at him for a moment. He still wore a soft smile on his lips, his hair a little knotty from sleep. He seemed innocent enough, and he hadn’t stolen anything or catnapped Princess Marshmallow when he watched the apartment. Besides, what was he gonna do? Steal the few pounds I gave him and never come back to his own apartment? I nodded at him, making his smile grow. His gaze fell behind me just as I felt a hand tugging on the back of my sweater.

          “Mumma?” A small voice called from behind me.

Leo crept up behind me, hiding behind my leg as he stared up at John with eyes as wide as saucers. He was the shyer of the twins, evident by the way he tucked himself behind me at the sight of John standing in the hallway. He was still topless, his hair still in clumps, tacked to his forehead with sweat.

          “Hey, baby, what’re you doing up?”

          “I frew up again.” He whispered, “Who is that?”

          “This is Mr. Deacon, he’s gonna help me by going to get some medicine for you,” I said, resting my hand on the back of his head as he hugged my leg, head resting on the back of my thigh.

          “Mr. Deacon?” He whispered, eyeing John up and down a few times before gripping onto the back of my sweatpants.

          “Yeah. Remember when we went to spend the weekend with grandma over the summer?”

He nodded,

          “Mr. Deacon took care of Princess Marshmallow while we were gone.”

Leo nodded once more, remaining behind my leg as he studied the man in front of him.

          “He’s gonna get medicine?”

          “Uh huh,” I replied.

          “Is he a doctor?”

          “No, baby. He’s a…” I trailed off, realizing I didn’t know what he did for work. All I knew was that he played bass. I could faintly hear him strumming sometimes, found it quite soothing, actually.

          “Electrical engineer,” John answered for me.

          “What’s that?” Leo asked, his grip on my pants loosening.

          “Uh, well. It’s all kinds of stuff.” John said, squatting down so he was level with Leo.

His gaze flitted up to meet mine as if he wanted my approval to talk with Leo. I gave him a nod to continue.

          “What kind of stuff?” Leo questioned, tilting his head slightly.

          “Uh.” He paused a moment, likely pondering the best way to describe what he did in a way a five-year-old could understand, “Fixing broken things, making new things that have to do with electricity.”

          “Electricity?” Leo stepped out from behind me and instead stood beside me, but he kept one arm wrapped around my leg, anchoring himself to me. The heat from his body was seeping through my sweatpants, making me grow even more concerned.

          “Yeah. Uh. Stuff like lights,” He pointed up to the ceiling. Leo’s gaze followed his gesture before landing back on him again,  “And your TV and the radio.”

          “Oh. You fix that stuff?”

          “Yeah.”

          “Mumma! Maybe he can fix our TV!”

          “Yeah, I could probably fix your TV,” John replied.

          “Oh, no. No. I wouldn’t want to be any more trouble.”

          “No trouble at all. I promise.” He smiled at me.

I found myself staring at him for a moment too long. He had a tenderness about him, not necessarily conventionally attractive, but the way his eyes crinkled when he smiled made him radiant. He raised an eyebrow at me, snapping me back to reality. I shook my head in an attempt to regain my composure.  

          “Let me go inside, I’ll give you some cash for the medicine,” I said as I turned into the doorway.

          “There’s no need, I’ll get it.” He offered.

          “No, John, I insist.”

He opened his mouth to protest but quickly closed it when I shot him a stern glare.

          “Well, if you insist.”

I ushered Leo back into the apartment and got him settled on the couch before I grabbed my purse, pulling out a few bills. I jotted the name of the medicine down on a scrap of paper before meeting John in the doorway again.

          “Sorry about that uh… interrogation.” I smiled, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear as I handed him the bills, “Four-year-olds are too curious for their own good.”

          “Don’t worry about it. He’s a sweet kid. I’ll be back in a few.”

I waited until he disappeared around the corner before entering the apartment again. Amelia had finished her breakfast and was sitting on the couch beside Leo who seemed to have come down from his sudden energy boost and was back to wallowing on the couch. Amelia had her hand on his forehead like she had seen me do many times before when they were sick. She threw me a worried glance over her shoulder as I wandered up behind her. I gave her a half-hearted smile.

          “John will be back with some medicine soon, bub.”

Amelia settled herself on the floor in front of the couch with some crayons. She and Leo were chatting when Leo suddenly sprang off the couch and sprinted towards the bathroom.

                                                            ***

A knock on the door pulled me away from my position on the floor of the bathroom beside Leo. I peered through the peephole to see John standing on the other side, a paper bag in hand.

          “You decided not to rob me, then?” I teased as I opened the door.

He grinned and shook his head, reaching into the bag.

          “Medicine, your change, and a candy bar for mum.” He smiled, handing them all over.

It wasn’t until he handed me the candy bar that I realized how hungry I was. I mouthed a thank you to him as I counted the cash,

          “Change? This is all the cash I gave you.”

          “Told you I’d get it.” He replied.

          “Really, just take it.” I insisted, shoving it in his face.

He shook his head, taking a step back.

          “Quit being so damn stubborn and take the money.” I ordered, folding it in half and tucking into the front pocket of his shirt, “Thank you, I really appreciate it.”

          “Any time.”

He offered me another crinkly-eyed smile as I closed the door. I felt an odd bubble in my stomach. At first, I thought I was starting to catch Leo’s stomach bug, but I quickly realized it was just butterflies. I hadn’t felt those since I was a teenager. Heat spread across my face as I went into the kitchen to get Leo a cup of water to take his medicine with.

          “Mumma!” Amelia squealed as I stepped away from the sink,  “The door gave us money!”

She ran up to me with the bills in her hand.

“Dammit, John,” I muttered under my breath, taking the cash and tucking it back into my purse.