catchacold | Babysitter's Club

"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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