catchacold | Babysitter's Club

"You're smart, it's pretty cool. You should own it. You're not a nerd, you're like a genius or something. That's pretty cool. Like, erm, you know. Tony Stark. He was a genius." He saw Iron Man on a date once, it was pretty nice, first time in the cinema since he was very young. It was the only example of a genius he could think of. "It's a shame, if I bothered to attend and you were dumber, we'd be in the same glasses."

"If you ever want to go back, I could help you with studying." Smooth. Very smooth. Hartley finally dared to walk out of the kitchen, sitting down on the sofa next to Teddy, but directing the kid's attention back to the incredibly handsome boy that was feeding him. "I'm better at tutoring than I'd have thought. I help out Mick a little."

"I don't think I'd go back, seems pointless. I'd rather be working, I need the money if I want to stay alone and out of the system, you know? If I go back to school, I probably go back there and ... yeah, it's a mess." Axel dismissed as he fed Teddy a few more bites of his jar. He was easily distracted by Hartley but fortunately, he seemed to be pretty hungry. Food time was going well. "It's fine, I'll just find a handsome, smart boy like you and he can take care of me. Get a nice job and buy me pretty things."

"I get it. I just think you'd do a good job." Because he was handsome and smiled like that and right now Hartley would have believed just about anything he said. "But that's good too." Working as a rentboy, as he suspected? No, it wasn't good. Hartley knew a lot about the reality of that by now. "Leonard wants you to do well, so I'm sure you will."

"I dunno. I'll do whatever I want to do, depends what's easier. I'm a slacker, I guess." He knew Leonard wanted him to go back to school and quit his job but that wasn't happening so easily as he'd hoped. At least Axel had kicked the drugs, even if he hated that and kept slipping. It was hard, they got him through a lot. "I have to try more these days, I guess, this little guy is looking to us as examples."

The little guy in question had finished all of his food and was happily humming away, making grabby gestures at Hartley.

"Maybe it will get easier. Maybe you could stay here sometimes. It's warm." Maybe he was taking away Axel's place to live? He had to talk to Mick about that. "And true. I wouldn't want to disappoint Teddy." Teddy perked up even more at his name, squealing a little and making sounds that Hartley could identify. Oh.

"...he wants me to play my flute. Is that okay with you?" He was already taking his flute out of the kangaroo pocket, exciting Teddy further.

"You play the flute?" Not where he saw this night going but hell, this night was kind of weird. He used Teddy's bib to wipe his face before lifting him up and into his lap again. "Nah, by all means, me and Teddy are your audience and I gotta say, I think he's your biggest fan." Teddy was pointing at the flute and looking at Axel, just making sure he saw the magical amazing flute too.

"I know, buddy, it's really cool!" It wasn't but Axel was getting oddly invested in this.

"Yes, I don't know. I like music. Especially the flute." Hartley shrugged, lifting the instrument to his lips already. A moment later he started playing, closing his eyes slowly and just focusing on Teddy's sounds. He was playing for him most of all after all and he knew by now which of his songs Teddy liked best, bouncing and trying to sing along. It was adorable. It also helped him to pretend that there wasn't the cutest boy sitting there and listening.

Teddy sometimes copied the pitch oddly enough or he'd make a noise along with it. Sometimes he just bounced and tried to stand to get closer, only to tumble back against Axel. The whole time, Axel kept one arm hooked around the baby as he watched Hartley play, entirely fascinated. It sounded wonderful. He almost wanted to close his eyes and sink into it. "Dude, you're so talented."

"Thank you. I practise a lot. It used to be what I did in my free time, you know, when I had a break in my schedule?" Hartley didn't know how common that kind of thing was. He lowered his flute and held his hand out to Teddy, who grabbed it and babbled excitedly. "Before it got too cold I used to get some money busking. Do you really like it?"

"Sounds like fun." That was his time off? Learning an instrument? Not cool. Still, he let it go and simply held the boy close to stop him from babbling. "I bet you made plenty, you play amazingly, I had no idea the flute could sound so pretty." He turned Teddy around a little and beamed at him. "What do you think?" Teddy squealed and clapped his hands, turning back to Hartley and trying to flail at him. "I think he wants to thank the player."

"I'm glad you like it." Hartley smiled and pretended that he wasn't blushing while he wrapped an arm around Teddy, holding his flute away with his other hand. "I want to try for a musical scholarship, maybe. At a music school. My parents wouldn't ever have let me study that, so that makes me want it more." He had more than a bit of a rebellious spirit. "So I'll play music and be as gay as I can be. Right, Teddy?"

"Oh yeah, you have to. When someone is that much of a jerk, you have to stick it to them and do what you want. Be happy, be gay, play music. Whatever. Just do it. You have a lot of talent and you're insanely handsome. You'll pull it all off fine." Axel smiled and sprawled back, looking at Hartley appreciative. He could do so much, he was so talented, it was so weird to meet a kid like this. It was so different to what he usually knew.

"I'm not as handsome as you, but maybe I can score anyway." Hartley dared to wink at him, at the same time gathering Teddy up in his arms and getting up, putting his flute back into his kangaroo pocket. "Shall we get you ready for bed? Teddy, not Axel." Teddy giggled and rested his head on Hartley's shoulder. "By the way, why is Mick not calling?"

"You charmer, you." Axel sighed and hauled himself to his feet, watching Teddy settle against Hartley. He moved ahead and pushed the door open to the nursery, holding it open for Hartley and Teddy. "He is, my back pocket keeps vibrating, I'm just ignoring it." He pulled out his phone and sent a quick text to both Leonard and Mick explaining all is well, he's just feeding Teddy and putting him to bed. "He's non stop sometimes." Rolling his eyes, he moved ahead and started arranging the covers. "Is he all set to go, do you think?"

"I'll put on his pyjamas and then he's ready. Isn't that right, Teddy?" Hartley smiled at him as he put him down on the changing table, humming as he dressed him. Teddy tried to hum along, always charmed by Hartley's music. Hartley asked him how he was feeling, only in Spanish this time, which made Teddy repeat him in the strangest way, giggling happily. Hartley rolled his eyes and held the boy out to Axel. "Time for bed."

"You speak Spanish? I only speak a little." Axel spoke what he knew and the two phrases translated to where are my drugs? and I only like horny bitches. Neither of which are sentences Teddy should use but he still babbled in return, happy and excited. Axel smiled at him and carried him to the crib, lowering the side so he could put him in easily He fidgeted and squirmed so Axel leaned over, pulling his blanket up and gently singing to him, watching as he started to relax and settle nicely.

"Spanish is my first language." Not his mother tongue, but the language he learned first. Hartley watched Axel and smiled, loving the way he sang to Teddy all sweetly, especially after using those crude Spanish phrases. What a fascinating person! How was he supposed to entirely resist that? His mind was wandering to the possibility of making out and, man, it was tempting. "Your pronunciation is great."

"I learned to mimic it. I lived with a family that spoke Spanish for a while, I used to do their deliveries." Axel explained as he watched Teddy's eyes slowly close and he settled down, all comfortable and wrapped up. "No cop would ever pull over an eight year old because they suspect they're dealing." Especially not a white kid. He was pretty sure that was all they ever wanted him for. "I also know Money please." He laughed and turned to Hartley, clearly amused.

Hartley wasn't sure why that was the first thing he did, but he had always known he was impulsive. Just as when he had come out to his parents and now, stepping forward and kissing Axel right on the lips. But they were in Teddy's room and so obviously he stepped back quickly, glad that his blush wouldn't be visible in the semi-dark. "I'm sorry that family used you, but your Spanish sounds good, so at least there's that." Maybe he could just act as if the kiss hadn't happened.

"My Spanish is good enough to earn me a kiss?" Axel was a little stunned, especially by how casual he was being about it so Axel decided to try and make this situation a little less awkward. Firstly, he backed Hartley out of this room because Mick would kill them for being in here and doing that. He left the door half open and once they were in the living room, he kissed Hartley again. Slow, soft, tender. He dragged it out as long as he could and--

His phone rang and Axel whined, breaking away and answering it. "Mick? Yeah, no, he's asleep. All safe. Changed. Yes. Thanks. Bye."

"Damn it, Mick." Hartley muttered the words as soon as Axel ended the call, shaking his head and putting one hand into his kangaroo pocket, automatically holding on to his flute, to help steady his nerves. "Thank you very much," he finally said, bowing his head a little, "That was a very good kiss."

He presumed. He had literally only kissed twice in his life. Just now in Teddy's room and a second later in this room.

"You're too formal but I like it, it's cute." Axel reached out and took Hartley's hand, not mentioning that Mick had literally told him no funny business and that was exactly what they were doing. Rather than risking this escalating, he just pushed Hartley down onto the couch and whacked a random movie on, dropping onto the couch by him, close enough to touch still. "I like you, pretty boy. Maybe one day we'll get to make out without Mick looming over us."

"I'd like that." Because that's what he needed. Falling in love with a rentboy. He knew that these things couldn't end well, but that didn't change that his heart was still fluttering from his first kiss and that he couldn't look away from Axel. He hoped he knew how amazing he looked and how vibrant he was. "It's great to meet you."

Babysitter's Club

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