Jean Havoc groaned, and rolled over only to find the sunlight cruelly assaulting him from the open curtains. He sat up, and for a confused moment wondered about his location until a tandem of giggles reminded him. Why couldn't Mustang install a locking doorknob on the guest bedroom door? Especially with his terrifyingly identical little girls lurking around the house. Havoc never could tell them apart, and they seemed to sense his fear; like animals they smelled it on him, and never hesitated to pounce.
He fell back into the safety of the pillows, and exhaled in defeat. "I can hear you two laughing, you know." A matching set of amber eyes, and dark haired heads peered at him from over the edge of the footboard.
"Good morning, Uncle Jean," One of them said. Christine or Elizabeth… he wasn't sure which.
Havoc smiled as best he could given his hungover state. "How are my best girls on this bright Sunday morning?"
Another round of giggles, and they ascended upon him. One clad in pink flannel pajamas, and the other in yellow, the two Mustang girls clambered onto the bed making him feel not a little bit seasick at the motion. The Pink One curled against his shoulder while The Yellow One shoved a strand of hair from her face, and bounced on the mattress next to him.
"Did you know Hayate can't have puppies, Uncle Jean? My daddy says he's snippy." The Yellow One declared.
Before he could choke out a reply, The Pink One giggled quietly next to him. "Snipped, Lizzy. Daddy said snipped." Chrissy turned her eyes on him. "What's snipped mean?"
He should've guessed Lizzy would be the one to blurt out poor Hayate's fate. "Eh, well…" Jean felt like his lungs were full of cotton. "It just means he doesn't have the right boy-dog parts to make babies."
Lizzy stared at him in the calculating way that always set him on edge. Chrissy was much quieter and contemplative in personality. "Is that why you don't have any babies, Uncle Jean? Have you been snipped like Hayate?"
Havoc bristled at the thought, and a cold sweat broke out on his forehead. "No! I have all my parts, thank you! Snipping is just for pets like dogs, and cats that live in the city."
"Why?" Lizzy crossed her arms over her chest, and continued to eye him. Chrissy ran her small fingers over the ink of the tattoo on his forearm.
"Well, because… I mean-"
Riza appeared in the doorway, and saved him from the inquisition. "Alright, girls, I think you've tortured him enough for one morning." Her twitching mouth told him she'd heard quite a bit of the conversation, and had chosen to let him suffer. "Why don't you head downstairs for some breakfast, okay? I'm sure Uncle Jean would like to have a shower in privacy."
Lizzy glanced at him skeptically one last time, and hopped off the bed. He was grateful for the stoppage of bouncing. Chrissy climbed out more carefully, and then disappeared after her sister. "Thanks for rescuing me, Hawkeye. Maybe you guys could get a better door knob?"
"Consider them your free wakeup call, Havoc. It's all part of your stay at Hotel Mustang. Chrissy might save you some pancakes, but Lizzy is ruthless." She winked at him before leaving him alone in the guest room.
Right. Maybe he should just drink less on poker night.
