This is a Ryan - Sophie - Seth fic no slash - to quote Summer, "EW"
Enjoy.
Lil Sis
"Hello? I'm here. I brought bagels!"
"Seth, shut up!" whispers Ryan meeting his brother at the door
"Why are we- here take this" Seth hands Ryan his bag of groceries "Why are we whispering?"
Ryan leads Seth into the living room and points to the answer: a three year old sleeping on the couch
" I just got her to sleep. She's been crying for an hour and a half"
Ryan waits until Seth has followed him into the kitchen before giving him a 'dead arm'.
"and if you had gotten here on time, you would have been able to help me"
Seth wants to argue that with the new comic book store opening, Ryan should consider himself lucky that he came at all, but Ryan produces a glare and a punch that rivals no one.
"Dude. OW"
"Will you shut up?" Ryan hisses
Seth leans on the counter rubbing his arm and grumbling
" It's not my fault she cried, Ryan. Actually, it's Mom and Dad's fault for leaving us in charge. She does this every time" he jerks his head towards the other room
"Yeah, well, she's got to get used to it . Sandy and Kirsten are going to have to leave her with babysitter's sometimes"
"She's too spoiled." Seth grunts "I mean, what type of kid dissolves into tears every time her parents go out? She's too used to getting everything she wants."
Ryan takes cream cheese out of the fridge and turns to his brother "Seth, don't do that"
"Do what?" Seth asks gesturing with a half eaten bagel in his hand
"Act jealous of a toddler."
"I'm not jealous"
He's not jealous. He's not. He just he misses his parents. He goes to school on the other side of the country and gets a phone call once a week, while Sophie and Ryan get to see them anytime they want. And when he finally gets to come home for spring break, his parents decide his second day back to take off for "Us Time" and he has to baby-sit. It's ridiculous that he should have to do any work during a vacation. Besides, Sophie hates him.
"I'm not" Ryan doesn't look convinced
"'dat bagel?" they both turn to see a pint sized Kirsten rubbing the sleep from her eyes
"Hey, Sophie. Your up." Seth grins at little girl still sporting her 'little mermaid' pajamas.
"uh huh." she mutters giving Seth a look before turning to her other brother. "Wyan, I wanna bagel. "
"What do you say?"
"Please"
"Sure thing, little mermaid" Ryan throws her up in the air before placing her on the counter with a kiss.
Seth schmears half a bagel with the strawberry cream cheese he can't fathom why she likes, before handing it over to her.
"Here you go, Rosie Posie"
Sophie snatches the bagel from his hands with a "Don't call me Rosie Posie"
Seth grins "Oh yeah, this is going to be a great day" The sarcasm is lost on the small child.
Ryan rolls his eyes at his siblings. "Sophums, Do you want to play outside after we eat?"
"Yes! Can we build sand castle, Wyan?"
Ryan swallows a bite of his own bagel "Uh, sure. You, me and Seth"
Sophie glowers at her brown haired brother "I don't think Sethy knows how to build a good sandcastle"
"Yes I do." Seth crosses his arms indignantly. "And don't call me 'Sethy'"
"You do not Sethy"
"I do too Rosie Posie"
Ryan breaks it up "Sophie, why don't we go get you dressed so we can go out"
As soon as he places his sister on the floor she races to her room.
"See, she hates me" Seth states
"She doesn't hate you, she's three."
"That's easy for you to say. She just loves you 'Wyan'"
"I'm just around her more. Bond with her. Go help her get dressed"
"So I can spend ten minutes arguing with her about which way the tag goes? I'll take a pass on that one"
Ryan sighs. Why does he have to baby sit both of them. "Fine, then you can clean up this mess, Sethy"
Ignoring his brother's angry response he follows his sister up the stairs.
"That's not how you do it, Seth"
Seth lets out a breath of air and bites his lip . She's three. She's three. She's three.
"How do you want me to do it, Sophie?" his voice uncharacteristically cheery
"You're supposed to put it right heuh" she indicates the spot with a pudgy finger. "Wyan always puts the towuh heuh"
"Yeah, cause Ryan's just so perfect" Seth murmurs redoing his side of the castle
Sophie lets out a frustrated sigh.
"What?"
"It's still wrong"
"What's wrong with it! It's just a lump of dirt!"
"well, it is!"
"Hey Linda Blair, can you really make your head spin all the way around, or was that just for the movie"
Ryan walks up and sits on the edge of their sandbox "Hey, guys. How's the building coming?"
"Wyan, Sethy's doing it all wong" Sophie whines
"It's a backyard sand castle! You put the sand in the cup and turn it over. How can it be wrong!?"
Seeing a meltdown coming on for both Seth and Sophie, Ryan stands up, brushing the sand off the back of his jeans.
"Sophie. I brought my soccer ball home with me. You wanna play?"
Sophie nods enthusiastically
"Seth has to play too."
She frowns and goes to stand next to the blond boy "Does he have to play, Wyan?"
"Hey!" Seth gets ready to argue but then realizes what he's saying "No, wait. Never mind."
"Sophie, be nice" Ryan admonishes and for once Sophie keeps the rest of her comments to herself.
He turns to Seth "You're playing."
" I don't do Sports, Ryan. You know that."
Ryan tilts his head to the side and just stares. It takes Seth a few seconds to notice that Sophie is copying him right down to the raised eyebrow. Except, she looks a lot scarier.
"Fine" Seth relents. Anything to get the little demon seed off his back
"I'll go get the ball" Ryan says jogging towards the house
Seth squats down where Sophie is standing, hands still on her hips. "Sophie. Your shoes are untied. Here, let me help you"
"No! Don't touch 'em. I want Wyan to do it"
She yanks her foot back before Seth can even get the 'bunny ears' started.
He stands up and runs his fingers through his unruly hair. Calm down. She's only three and she's your sister. Your evil little sister.
"Go ahead, Sophie. Kick it"
Sophie aims, tongue sticking out with concentration and manages to get the ball to Seth.
"Ok, Dude. Get ready" Ryan backs up and Seth winds for the kick.
He runs forward
Swings his foot
Misses
Looses his balance from the force of the kick and falls flat on his ass
"Ah!"
Ryan doesn't hold back his chuckle and of course his 'little shadow' does the same.
"Not funny" Seth murmurs as Ryan extends a hand to help him up
"Sethy can't kick" Sophie crows, her giggles growing exponentially
" Alright, I've had just about enough of you missy" Sophie tries to run but Seth catches up quickly swinging her over his shoulder and running circles around the yard.
Completely drained of energy, he plops Sophie on the front porch
"Again, Seth!"
"No, Sophie" Seth pants "I'm done."
"No! Please. You're no fun" Sophie crosses her arms and pouts
"Hey, I'm fun. I can be fun" he reaches down to pick Sophie up again
"Gimme piggy back ride, Seth!"
He glances at Ryan sitting on the lawn chair, who gives him an encouraging nod.
"Ok, Soph. Hang on".
So he was tired. Sophie was happy, she wasn't hating him anymore and she called him 'Seth'."
"Oh man. I think I'm going to pass out" He puts his sister on the love seat before taking his place on the couch next to Ryan, who looks equally exhausted.
"Remind me never to pick her up again"
"Remind me never to let you convince me to join in". They must have been picking her up and running around the yard for at least two hours.
"Beer?" Ryan asks moving towards the kitchen
"Oh Moses, yes."
"Me too!" chirps the little ball of energy. Seth laughs. Sophie's not so bad when she's not acting like a Newpsie in training.
Ryan soon returns with two Coronas and a bottle of apple juice.
Seth takes a large pull from his drink before setting it down on the table.
"Wyan," Sophie pushes her bottle away "I wan't one -a those"
" No, Sophie. You can't drink this stuff"
"You got your own juice right there" Seth interjects pointing to the bottle
"That's apple juice. I want the juice you have"
Ryan stands "Sorry, kiddo" he turns to Seth "I'm gonna go order something for dinner so you - know - who, won't have to cook when they get home"
Sophie waits until he's out the room before moving over to Seth's part of the couch and snuggling up to his side.
"Seth? Can I have some, pwease?"
"Sorry Soph. You wouldn't like it"
Sophie puts her hands on her hips, giving the perfect impression of the 'Ryan glare'. "Why Not?"
"Because-" Seth stutters "Because this is grown up juice"
"Yowe not gwown up"
"Yes, I am"
"No yowe not. You go to school, and Mommy calls you huw 'baby boy' and you have a woom here wight next to mine"
"I'm 22. I'm grown up, Sophie Rose"
"No yowe not Seth zekel" Seth rolls his eyes
"So? Whatever, Sophie. You can't have it either way"
"Yowe no fun, Sethy" Oh, so we're back to Sethy
"Fine. I'm no fun." Seth shrugs and starts heading for the kitchen ."Hey, Ryan! You're not getting Chinese again are you? Mexican food all the way man…"
Ryan gestures to the phone and Seth falls silent "Yeah… Sandy we're fine. In the living room. Ok… you too, bye."
"'Rents' checking up on us?"
"They'll be home in about an hour"
"Good. I want this nightmare to be over"
"What's the matter? I thought you liked Sophie now."
Seth walks toward the living room "She's… Oh Shit!"