Log: Tending the Twins

[ambitious_muse]

Who: Sigma Ai, Agent York (Native), any Ai siblings who are at home
What: Babysitting the little siblings during Delta's appointment
Where: Ai household
When: Friday morning (8 May)
Warnings: none

Before he picks up the twins from school, Sigma finds everything he should need. Paper, pencils, crayons, and even a few stickers, so they can decorate the room with "Get Well Delta" cards. Dishes, cups, and favorite juices. A rogue ball of string in case York wants to help the twins play the "secret agent" game that he proposed on their second date.

It's a lot for one morning of babysitting, but Sigma really wants this to go well. Delta needs it, and more importantly, he hasn't seen York since before finals. It's time to sit back, have fun, and pretend that nothing is wrong.

Thankfully, the twins are pretty docile by the time they get home. Both of them have been cranky in Delta's absence. Now, they just seem resigned. Sigma hopes York will help him cheer them up.

Comments

[ambitious_muse]

"Grape or strawberry?" It's an important question, one that has had the twins in tears before when answered poorly.

"Eta, Iota, this is my friend York. You met him at the park, remember?"

Two sets of wide eyes look the mercenary over.

[depthlesslock]

'Strawberry, please.' He's not too fussy, but he does prefer strawberry when it's available.

'Hello,' he says, waving and smiling at the twins. They're deffinitely Ais. Iota's golden eyes especially are very noticeable.

[ambitious_muse]

Iota smiles but sticks his sandwich in his mouth instead of talking. Eta waves back with a shy grin.

Sigma shakes his head. If he didn't know better, he would think the two of them are trying to lower York's guard.

"I thought the four of us could decorate the room for Delta when he gets back," he says. "What do you think?"

[depthlesslock]

Aren't they adorable. York folds his arms on the table and rests his chin on his arms so he's a bit more at their level, smiling at them.

'Sounds like a good plan to me,' he agrees.

[ambitious_muse]

After setting down York's food, Sigma ruffles Eta's hair. "No need to be so shy, E," he teases. "York is Maine's friend. You know Maine."

"Maine makes yummy pancakes," Iota whispers at his sandwich.

Eta immediately warms up to York. "He's Delta's boyfriend," she announces. As if he didn't know.

[depthlesslock]

'Maine makes very yummy pancakes,' York agrees. They're the best thing to wak up to in the mornings. Other than coffee.

'Is he?' he asks, feigning surprise for them. 'Well, Maine's very lucky to have someone like Delta.'

[ambitious_muse]

"Delta's sick," Eta adds.

"Maine taked care of him." Iota's voice is still quiet, but he'll actually make eye contact with York again.

"Yeah, he's been very good at taking care of Delta," Sigma says, smiling. "So now we're going to do something nice for them both. We all get to draw."

He even pulled out the glitter crayons.

[depthlesslock]

'Delta will get better,' he says, tucking into his sandwhich. 'He has people who care about him to help.'

Neither of them have said anything about his eye which is nice, but surprising given they're... what? Five or six?

[ambitious_muse]

"Iota, just four more bites," Sigma says. "Eta, let's go wash your hands while these two finish their lunch." Iota nods and takes a miniscule bite of his sandwich.

A minute or so later, Sigma is back with paper and several boxes of crayons. Iota proclaims himself done, so they vanish back into the kitchen together, leaving York with Eta.

[depthlesslock]

It's a good sandwich. Of course he's biased because Sigma made it, but it's still a good sandwich.

He watches the family antics while eating and grins at Eta when the two of them are left at the table.

[ambitious_muse]

Eta gets a piece of paper and opens the crayons. "Are you gonna draw too?" she asks. She picks out six colors--blue, green, gold, orange, red, and tan--and starts to draw.

[depthlesslock]

Sandwich finished, York sets his plate aside and tkaes one of the sheets of paper and a few crayons. 'Absolutely, I am,' he agrees.

[ambitious_muse]

"Don't peek," Eta says. She gives York a very stern look.

"Eta and Iota are quite the artists," Sigma says, coming back in with Iota. "But don't look until they're done. Right, Io?"

[depthlesslock]

York nods seriously. 'I won't peek,' he promises, selecting a green crayon to doodle with.

He looks up when Sigma comes back in, smiling at him and his younger brother.

[ambitious_muse]

Sigma scoots a chair closer to York and sits. "What should I draw?" He asks Iota.

"Dunno." His brother grabs a silver crayon and starts drawing.

[depthlesslock]

York's drawing random doodles in green. A few stars in the corner, two scratched out helmets and one that is vaguely recognisable for what it is and now he's making a circular maze.

[ambitious_muse]

"What about you, York? Any art ideas?" he asks. Maybe he'll draw a lion for Iota, who has reached for the black crayon and is most likely drawing an astronaut.

[depthlesslock]

'I'm not exactly an artist,' he admits, finishing his maze and making another attempt at a helmet. 'But for Delta? Maybe draw stuff he likes?'

[ambitious_muse]

"That's a great idea," Sigma says. "Except. . . Chocolate?" He's not sure how he could draw that without it looking, well, gross.

"Coffee. I need ridiculous mug ideas." Though the family owns boring, chipped mugs, Sigma has seen some clever ones. Mugs are easy to draw, too, and he can stick to a theme until he runs out of ideas.

[depthlesslock]

A brown rectangle isn't exactly picturesque, he has to agree.

'D like chocolate and coffee, huh?' This is new and interesting. 'How about you draws his face made out of dots?'

[ambitious_muse]

"He loves them," Sigma says. "That's how he and Maine started dating. They went to coffee to talk about Omega's training, and Maine just kept inviting him every week."

"You mean on the mug?" he asks. "I like it." He reaches for a green crayon.

[depthlesslock]

And doesn't that just make the widest grin spread across York's face. 'Oh, really? Nice going, Maine.' Sneaky, he likes it.

'Can't wait to see how this turns out.'

[ambitious_muse]

"I think the twins have all the art talent," he says, "but I'll do my best."

"I'm done," Iota announces, holding up what definitely looks like an astronaut in outer space.

[depthlesslock]

'Good luck,' he says, nudging him while the crayon isn't on the paper.

He looks over at Iota's drawing and is rather impresses with it. 'Wow, that's cool!'

[ambitious_muse]

"It's an astronaut," Iota says, blushing but proud.

"It's an awesome astronaut," Sigma says. "Is that you, Io? Do you want to go flying over Adaptive?" Iota responds with a mute nod. How Sigma wishes it were possible. Maybe this is why Delta and Omega have given so much up for him, so his dreams are actually possible.