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Ninten loved caring for kids. He would jump at any opportunity to babysit his sisters. So of course he responded with an enthusiastic yes when his mom asked him to take care of his sisters while she's on a business trip. The trip was only supposed to last 3 days, the issue is that it's been a week since she first left.
Ninten was fine the first three days, the days she was supposed to be gone. After that it got harder. His mom wouldn't answer calls, she never sent a letter, or told him she’d take longer. Eventually Ninten had to take money from his mom's stash (the one she keeps in her bedside table, above the one with a lock on it) just to afford food for his sisters.
The older boy knew he needed help, but what the hell was he supposed to do? If they called the police then they’d have to go to their grandma's house (Ninten's dad went completely off the map, he's asked his mom about it but she just looked away sadly). Ninten hated his grandma, she was a horrible smoker and only liked him when he was a baby, now all the attention was on his sisters. He wasn't jealous, at least he told himself he wasn't. Ninten didn't have any other family to call. His neighbors were an old war vet and a crazy cat lady, Ninten was more of a dog person. The only other people Ninten could think to call were his friends. Ninten couldn't see Teddy ever caring for a kid, and Ana would definitely force Ninten to call the police.
So Lloyd it was, and thank goodness for that. Since the months after the fight with Giegue, Lloyd and Ninten had only grown closer. Lloyds dad would drive him over to Ninten's house after visiting his wife in the hospital. Ninten shared everything with Lloyd, and vice versa, so telling Lloyd about this wouldn't hurt, would it?
“Uhm.. is Lloyd there?” Ninten toyed with the cord of the phone as he spoke.
“Oh uhm, yeah, let me grab him” the man on the other phone could be heard setting down the phone, before coming back and speaking, “he's on his way, is everything alright?
“Yeah, I'm alright, I just wanted to talk!” Ninten thought that was a stupid excuse.
“Right… Well I'll hand the phone over to him.”
“Thank you sir…”
“Oh, Ninten?” Ninten could hear Lloyds voice on the other line, he sounded uncharacteristically shaky.
“Uh…” Ninten paused, maybe this was a bad idea, maybe nothing was wrong and Ninten was just stupid. But something in his gut felt so sick, like how he felt right before he went to confront Giegue. Oh shit. “Do you wanna sleep over tomorrow?”
“Oh, uh, yeah sure! I can ask my dad,” Lloyd hesitated, “Is everything alright, Ninten?”
“Yeah I'm actually just tired sorry bye-”
Ninten almost slammed the phone when he hung up. Why would he ask that, why would he say that. Ninten was so stupid, his mom was missing, what happened the last time parents went missing? Giegue! And now he's asked Lloyd, Lloyd of all people to sleep over. They'd never slept over, in fact Ninten resented the idea of sleepovers with anyone . Because when Ninten gets tired he does stupid shit, and God forbi d he do stupid shit in front of Lloyd, anyone but Lloyd. Ninten couldn't put his finger on why exactly he felt that way, but either way he hated sleepovers.
“That was sad..”
Ninten jumped to see his sister, Minnie, standing behind him.
“Dude-! Go to bed!” Ninten crossed his arms and leaned against the wall.
“I was just getting water, you aren't exactly quiet!” Minnie yawned, “But I'm gonna go back to bed, have fun tomorrow-!”
Ninten just looked at her with confusion in his eyes as she left. What the hell was that supposed to mean?
—
Ninten groaned as he awoke to the phone ringing. He groggily got up and walked to the living room, he assumed his sisters were still asleep due to the fact the chaos was at a minimum. He almost tripped as he approached the phone, picking it up and putting it to his ear.
“Oh uh,” Ninten yawned, “Hello?”
“Ninten! Uh, did you just wake up?” Lloyd asked, he sounded happier than yesterday, “It's almost twelve”
“Oh shit- er, crap,” Ninten feigned surprise, in reality he usually wakes up one on weekends, and since it's summer that means everyday is a weekend.
“Anyway, we were just wondering what time we should head over!’
It took Ninten a moment to process what he was talking about before letting out a small gasp. Oh shit the sleepover!
“Oh any times good!” No, no it's really not, please don't come over.
“Alright! Uhm, how's 30 minutes sound?”
“Perfect!” Ninten should just stop speaking at this point.
“Ok, see you then”
“See you!”
Ninten has never hung up a phone so fast. He has shit to do. The first step was to look presentable, so getting dressed was an option, so that he did. Next he had to clean, and wake up the girls, and get mentally prepared. Prepared for what exactly? Ninten didn't know, but for some reason he felt a weird flutter when thinking about Lloyd staying the night.
Thirty minutes he had, and thirty minutes he used. Ninten was now dressed, his sisters were awake and eating breakfast, the house was clean, and now he just had to- well shit, Ninten's entire train of thought was put to a halt by a light knocking on the door.
Well shit. That was the only thing Ninten thought as he opened the door, only to be greeted with Lloyd. He looked the exact same as he did months ago when Ninten first met him, and Ninten was fine with that. He carried a small bag, the only thing reminding Ninten that this was a sleepover , which Ninten did not want to be reminded of.
Ninten let the younger boy in, waving a small goodbye to his dad as he drove away. The boys immediately went to the couch, and just as Ninten thought Lloyd would say anything-
“Hey Ninten, where's your mom?”
Shit.
“She hasn't come back from her business trip yet!” Minnie exclaimed from her seat at the kitchen table, still chowing down in her cereal.
Double shit. Curse Lloyd for being observant (not that Ninten would ever be mad at him for anything, God forbid.)
“Egad, Ninten! I thought that trip was a week ago!” Lloyd looked at him with such a pained expression Ninten could help but look away
“Well yeah, but we've been fine!” Ninten crossed his arms and almost pouted, he felt so stupid.
“Well yeah but, has she called? Or said anything?” Lloyd scratched the back of his neck, Ninten noticed he did that alot when he was nervous.
Ninten just looked down in response, of course she hadn't, because she's been kidnapped by a crazy alien and is being tortured or something. Lloyd sensed the strained atmosphere and changed the subject.
“You've been taking care of your sisters this entire time?” Lloyd asked, in a more hushed tone. He leaned closer to Ninten, so close their shoulders were touching. Ninten didn't like this, he had a whole couch to sit on, why did he choose right next to Ninten. It made his brain all foggy.
“Yeah, we've been fine.” Ninten answered in the same hushed tone.
“... Did you ask me to come over because you needed help?”
Ninten gritted his teeth, of course he didn't. Well, he did, but that doesn't matter. Ninten was doing just fine taking care of the girls! Sure, he was exhausted and never got free time because all he did was watch them, play with them, clean, eat, and sleep but that doesn't matter!
“... Yeah I guess,” Ninten answered, reluctantly.
“Well, then that makes us like parents!” Lloyd smiled, and Ninten felt his world flip.
“What-?”
“Oh, well we're taking care of kids! Doesn't that make us parents?
“But we're both boys.”
“... What?”
Ninten looked up to meet Lloyds gaze. The amount of hurt in his eyes made Ninten want to cry. He was so stupid, why would he say that? The world felt frozen, it was so silent, even the whispers of the girls from the kitchen table stopped. Ninten felt like he had stopped time.
“Never mind,” Ninten looked back down, putting his hands in his lap, “do you wanna watch a movie?”
Lloyd just nodded, moving away from Ninten so their shoulders weren't touching. Ninten felt a significant amount of heat in his body subside. Weird.
Ninten heard the girls get up and go to their rooms and he chose some random movie. He didn't even know what it was, his eyes were too glossy to really see.
“.. do you still wanna sleep over?” Ninten whispered, like if he spoke any louder it would scare him off.
“Do you still want me to?” Lloyd didn't look away from the TV to answer.
“Please…”
Lloyd nodded.
“I'm sorry-”
“It's fine.” Lloyd interrupted.
Ninten stopped talking after that.
---
The entire movie went by in silence, and when it ended they still did not dare to utter a word. It felt like forever and more before one of them spoke.
“I'm sorry.”
Lloyd finally turned to face Ninten.
“I'm sorry,” Ninten repeated, “I didn't mean it.”
Lloyd sighed, “but you're right..”
Ninten looked up from his hands,
“What does that matter! That's what other people say, not me!”
“You said it yourself, Ninten. You said it! we're both boys we can't-”
“But why-”
“Why are you suddenly changing what you're thinking, Ninten!? You said what you thought and it's fine! It's true!”
“I'm not! I was just scared!”
“Why?!”
“Because-” Ninten's breath hitched. He didn't know why, he didn't know anything.
Lloyd just stayed quiet, looking at Ninten dumbfounded.
“I'm sorry… I don't know why.. I just feel weird and I hate it!” Ninten shook his head.
“Are you sick..?” Lloyd asked, looking at Ninten like he was an animal in a zoo.
“No.. I don't know… it only happens around you, when I think about it when I talk to you or when you leaned up against me I felt warm and and when you talk about stupid nerd stuff it makes me smile and and you always do small things when your focused or nervous and I appreciate them so much, and I feel the need to protect you, not because you can't do it yourself but because I just want you safe!! But I don't know what this feeling is! The only time I ever felt something like this is… is…” Nintens eyes widened, “is with Ana.”
Ninten looked at Lloyd, who looked back at him with a similar expression.
“No… no no no…”
“Ninten I…”
“No! I… I think I love you Lloyd! And I hate that I love you! But I don't hate my love, I hate…” Ninten let out a sob, before screaming, “I'M SCARED! I'M SCARED OF WHAT OTHER PEOPLE WILL SAY, OK?! THAT'S WHAT I'M SCARED OF! ALL I HEAR IS THAT BOYS WHO LIKE OTHER BOYS GET KILLED AND HURT AND EVERYBODY HATES THEM! I DON'T WANT PEOPLE TO HATE ME!”
“... But you don't think that, do you?”
Ninten sniffled, “what?”
“That liking other boys is wrong?” Lloyd pulled his knees up to his chest.
“Well… no…”
“Then why did you say that…?”
“... That's what everybody says.”
“But why did you say it..?”
Ninten went silent for a moment, “because I was scared you liked me back…”
Lloyd looked away, gazing at the carpeted floor.
“Would you hate me if I said I did?”
Ninten looked at Lloyd, dumbfounded. And Lloyd looked back at him with the most sincere smile. It made Ninten's heart flutter. He was still so scared, it made his hands shake and he hated it. But maybe everything would be alright, maybe he didn't have to care what other people thought.
“Really?” Ninten asked.
“Really.” Lloyd answered.
Ninten crashed into Lloyd with the biggest hug he's sure he'll ever receive. Lloyd wrapped his arms around Ninten, who let out tiny sobs in response. And so they sat there, arms wrapped around each other as Ninten cried and Lloyd tried his best to comfort him.
They don't know how long it was until they both drifted off to sleep. But what they do know is that by the time dinner came around, they awoke laying on the couch, tangled in each other.
Ninten grumbled, “M’ so hungry, what time is it?”
“6:45, what time do you usually eat?” Lloyd played with Ninten's hair as he spoke.
“Forry five minutes ago!!” Ninten practically threw himself off the couch, eliciting a surprised squeak from Lloyd.
Ninten tiredly walked himself to the kitchen to begin making dinner. Nothing too crazy, just boxed mac n cheese that looked like it had been run over 3 times. When Ninten finished making the food (a rough process due to Ninten adding too much cheese, leading to Lloyd having to throw away an entire ball of cheese much to Ninten's dismay) he called the girls down from their room to eat.
And so they all sat around the living room to eat (Ninten hated the idea of dining rooms, for no particular reason). They all held small talk for a couple minutes, before the inevitable happened.
“So, how'd it go?” Mimmie asked, eliciting a confused look from Ninten. “That conversation! I can only assume it went well because you guys were wayyy to close on that couch!”
Both Ninten and Lloyd immediately went red.
“Mimmie I swear if you tell mom-!”
“I won't!! … As long as you clean my room so mom doesn't yell at me, pretty please!!” Mimmie held her hands together and blinked as if she were a Disney princess, causing Minnie to laugh.
“Alright, fine! Just don't tell anybody!” Ninten scoffed and continued eating.
“You guys are so-” Ninten paused, and so did everyone else. Well at least Ninten wasn't hearing things. The sound of keys struggling to unlock a door took up Ninten's entire mind.
Mom was home.
The door opened and in walked Mrs. Hollander, her hair a mess and she breathed heavily, “Girls?! Ninten I'm home!”
All three children immediately got up and rushed to their mother, wrapping them in a hug. Lloyd stayed and admired the family and their happiness from afar.
“Oh I missed you so much! I'm so sorry!”
The two twins cried, and so did Ninten.
“Mom! I thought.. I thought Giegue got you, Momma!!!” Ninten threw himself onto his mother, who only hugged back harder.
“Oh, honey no… I just got stuck in a horrible storm, I had to stay at a hotel for days, with no service! I'm so sorry…”
The mother hugged her three children so tight it felt like they would explode. Only when the crying died down did she loosen her grip.
“I-I made dinner…” Ninten sniffled, “I had to… I had to use your stack of money in your drawer, momma, I'm sorry!”
“Oh honey, it's alright, you did so well! You did what you could!” Ninten's mother put her hand on top of her son's head and ruffles his hair a bit, “thank you Ninten…”
Ninten wipes his tears, “and, uh, Lloyds here, he's staying the night…”
Ninten's mother only now noticed the boy in the living room, still sitting on the couch. She nodded her head in a greeting and the boy waved back, albeit awkwardly
“Well then! Let's try some dinner!”
—
“Hey Ninten?” Lloyd muttered. It was around 12 at night, and they were cuddled on Ninten's bed.
“Yeah?” Ninten hummed.
“Are you gonna tell your mom…?
“... One day, yeah.”
“M’kay…” Lloyd played with Ninten's hair and smiled, “I love you.”
“I love you more."