"I'm just going to stop wasting time with the police. Its obvious that they don't intend to do anything to help me." I told Cloud over the phone. I was sitting with my legs thrown down the length of my blue-grey couch, happy to finally get a moment to myself. Unhappy that the phone had spoiled this.
"Well then, it looks like you're stuck with them, huh? So what are you going to name them?" He asked eagerly. He sounded a little too happy at the turn of events.
"Why name the dead?" I asked him in return. I stretched and leaned back further into the plush cushions, switching the phone over to my left hand so that I could make it double as a head rest.
Cloud was silent for a moment before he replied, "Seph, you know you can't kill them."
"Oh no. I'm very capable," I returned.
He chuckled, "You know what I mean."
"What is there left for me to do? I'm none to thrilled about playing daddy for these two, and I'm guessing suicide isn't optional."
"No, it's not." He said swiftly. "Why does the thought of children get you so bent out of shape?" He questioned.
"Think about it. Do you really see me as a fatherly figure?" The long silence proved my point and I was quick to tell him so.
"Well that doesn't mean you can't learn to be! I'll put it this way Sephiroth, you're the only thing those two have."
"Wow, aren't they screwed."
"I still think you should name 'em. The titles: them, those things, the babies, female, and male aren't cutting it." He told me.
"OK. How about-"
Cloud interrupted me, "Actually put some thought into it too. Don't just say something random to try and shut me up."
I rolled my eyes at him though I knew he wasn't able to see it. I still wasn't sure why he cared so much, though. "Fine." I paused to 'put some thought into it'. "How about Ayden for him and Erin for her."
"Those sounds good!" He seemed surprised. I suppose that he thought, despite everything, I would say something like Bob and Jill. Or, more probably, Rifle and Katana.
"Yes, yes they do."
"Oh... Hey Seph, I'm going to have to let you go, someone is beeping in." Cloud told me before swiftly hanging up before I had a chance to say anything in return. He has such great manners.
I hung up the phone as well and picked up my book. I hadn't had as much time to read as I would've liked and with Ayden and Erin, that time was cut in half. I looked over to the blue and green crib that Aeris had loaned me; the two slept contently with in. I let out a sigh before I turned my attention back to reading. An hour past and I was two chapters away from finishing when I got the feeling I was being watched. I looked up unwillingly and found a pair of gray-blue eyes looking back at me.
That's the first time I ever really paid attention to the color of their eyes. It startled me at how alert he seemed, taking in the world around him. 'I wonder how old they are?' I wondered to myself. Aeris had given me her estimate; she said she guessed they were both around four or five months old.
He just sat there, supporting himself on his arms. I knew it was Ayden because I had memorized the facial distinction between them. He had a more narrow face than his sister- I assume they are related at least; it seemed only logical. It surprised me that he didn't start crying, but I was grateful.
He soon preoccupied himself with playing with a one of the baby toys- also supplied by Aeris. I turned back to reading and that lasted for about ten minutes when I was interrupted by an all to familiar crying. I looked up and realized that Ayden had hit Erin with the toy he had been playing with. His sister's crying in turn set him off too. And so the cycle restarted itself and I was charged with the tedious task of quieting them. Again.
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Erin, I discovered, had light blue eyes, not much different from her brother's. I watched as they looked at me intently while I fed them. 'Are all babies this alert?' I figured it was yet another question I would ask Aeris.
When I had finished feeding and burping them as I had been taught, I put them back into the crib and handed them each a soft toy. 'How long till they will be able to sit up on their own?' I wondered. Shrugging, I looked over to my calendar.
It was Sunday. I had to go back to work tomorrow! I nearly yelled in frustration at the realization that my vacation was over. So what was I supposed to do with my newest responsibilities? I didn't want to call Aeris, I was already too far in debt with that girl than I was comfortable with.
I ran over all my options and decided that the best thing would probably be to call one of the women from the store to come baby-sit. I looked over to the coffee table where the crumbled papers with their numbers rested. I shuddered, "Did any of them really want to help or we're they just after something else? Would any of them actually be up to it?" I wondered out loud. 'The only one that seemed really sincere was the young red-headed cashier. She's probably some collage student looking for some extra money.' I decided I would go with her. Reluctantly, I picked up the receiver and dialed the number I remembered to be hers.
"Hello." The girl on the other end answered in the all too familiar country accent.
"Hi, is this," I looked down at the paper to get her name, "Kimberly?"
"Yes. May I ask who's speaking?" She asked.
"This is Sephiroth. I was calling to take you up on you're offer to baby-sit." I told her.
"Oh! Okay... I honestly didn't think ya'd call. I figured if anythin' you'd go and hook up with that blonde or somthin'."
I was a little offended by that, "Are you saying my choice was a mistake?"
"No! Just unexpected is all." She answered.
I smiled to myself, I could tell she was nervous. She was most likely regretting giving me her number. I didn't really blame her, girls really shouldn't go around giving out such information unless they just like taking risks. I don't think she'll do it again. It's a good thing I'm not that kind of man. I continued on anyway, she wasn't getting out of it this easy. "So, could you start tomorrow? I'll pay you 270 a month. Or you could take it by the weeks if you don't plan on being around that long."
"270 a month will be fine, I just need a little extra spending money. The earliest I can come over tomorrow will be after three because of my classes." I was right in my guess, collage student.
"I'll need you at four, so I don't think you're classes will be in the way. I wont be home till around nine-thirty at night, is that fine?"
"Yes." She still sounded nervous. Am I that intimidating?
I decided to try and get her to loosen up, "Now, I'm going to have to ask you some questions to see if you qualify."
"Okay." She sounded doubtful.
"Can you change a diaper?"
After she stopped laughing she answered, "Yes, I know lots about that kind of stuff. I used ta have to watch my little cousins often, so don't think I'm not experienced." She seemed a lot better now.
Yes, I can be nice like that, you just have to get on my good side. Also, I didn't want the girl tripping all over herself and unable to do as I need all because she was afraid of me. "Okay then, its settled."
I gave her directions to my house and said good bye courteously.
As much as I wanted to go back to my reading I decided to get one more thing done before hand. I walked over and picked up the twins -tucking them unceremoniously under each arm- and prepared to give them a bath. Aeris had made sure to tell me bathing them was necessary, as if I didn't know that already. She also took the time to teach me the "proper" way of doing it. I do believe I wouldn't have had much difficulty with out her instructions though.
So off it was to the bathroom with them. I shook my head as I realized that Cloud just might have been right. I certainly was being a little more fatherly to them, at least to the point I had given up killing them.
(A/N): I'm really enjoying writing this and I hope that ya'll enjoy reading! Please tell me if you do, it might speed up the time it takes me to update. Sorry this isn't all that long.
