Hello Nerdians! Welcome to a... oh my god... a HAPPY ONE-SHOT? THE WORLD IS ENDING OH MY GOD CALL THE COPS.

ANYWAYS, I think it's about time I gave you happy, cute fluff rather than depressing sadness. I enjoyed writing this, and I thought it was really cute and I was just fangirling the entire time. I ship SSoHD so much, I think it's adorable. This is following the AU and canon of my previous Little Creature shorts. Seriously, tell me if you want a story based off this. I would enjoy writing it but I want your opinion first.

OH! And, I got a Twitter finally :D My user is _NerdcraftMC, with the underscore. Follow it, cause I wanna talk to you guys! It would be so much fun! I also put random idiotic nonsense, me-ness and story updates on there. My conversations with my poop head of a friend are pretty funny too. GO FOLLOW IT! I WANT TO TALK TO YOU GUYS AND HAVE FUN! It'll be easier on there too, cause of the different time zones.

With that out of the way, enjoy the story!

Babysitting

An SSoHD Fic

"…and I think James has really hurt his arm – I think it's a break. But Jordan is on a business trip and I can't take Aleks and Eddie with me, so I was wondering if you could watch them until I get back?" Dan said in a rush. Seamus peeked around the corner and watched suspiciously as his mother nodded her head.

"Sure, Dan. Anything to help," she smiled. "I can send Seamus over to watch them, seeing as we're right next door. He's mature enough to make sure they go bed on time and he'd do anything to stay up late!" she turned and spotted Seamus, still smiling.

"Ah, honey. You have to go watch Aleks and Eddie for an hour or so, okay? Dan has to take James to the hospital," she said firmly. Seamus groaned inwardly and took a step forward from behind the wall, tugging on the bottom of his shirt awkwardly. He was very much aware of the fact he had been involuntarily volunteered – and that she had clearly stated "You have to go" rather than "Can you go". There would be no escaping this.

"Sure…" Seamus mumbled.

"Good way to see if you'll be a mature eleven year old, huh?" she chuckled as he shuffled forward, ruffling his hair with her hand. "You go, Dan. Give me a call on your way back."

"Alright. Thanks, Mandy," he said with a grateful smile, casting a quick glance at Seamus. "And thank you too for doing this, Seamus." Seamus hummed and Dan turned quickly, rushing to his car where a crying James was already waiting, holding an icepack to his arm. Seamus' mother turned and looked at him with a small smile.

"Hurry on over, alright? Dan mentioned they've already had dinner, so just put them to bed in half an hour, okay?" she ordered.

"But they don't like me!" Seamus whined. "They aren't going to listen to me!"

"Seamus, you go over there right now and do this! It's a favour to Dan and he's counting on you. Besides, it's only Aleks and Eddie. How hard could it be?"

It turns out, the answer to that question is hard. Very hard. Eddie, dressed in his fox pyjamas, yelled loudly as he ran around the living room, jumping from chair to chair and screaming the floor was lava. Aleks was sitting in the middle of the living room floor playing the PlayStation and ignoring Eddie while Seamus chased the rowdy boy around the room. The biggest mistake of his life had been letting Eddie – quiet, harmless, peaceful Eddie – have a spoon of Nutella.

"Eddie, will you calm the hell down?" Seamus yelled desperately, lunging forward and trying to grab Eddie's legs as he bounced to the armchair. He climbed up and perched on the top of it, bouncing up and down as the chair shook dangerously.

"Seamus swore! Seamus swore!" Eddie shrieked. "Put a dollar in the jar!"

"That isn't a swearword!" Seamus snapped. "Now get down right now or… or I'll make you go to bed early!" Eddie stopped, flicked up his hood so the fox ears pointed up and stuck out his tongue at Seamus.

"You can't make me!" he chanted, leaping off the chair onto the ground and sprinting into the dining room. Seamus groaned and ran after the nine year old as he weaved between the chairs, knocking down one, and then ran through into the kitchen. The living room, kitchen and dining room were all connected – making it an endless circuit with the staircase in the middle.

"Get back here right now!" Seamus yelled as Eddie sprinted through the kitchen, knocking down on of the stools with a loud bang and opening the cabinet doors to slow Seamus down. Seamus huffed as he righted the stool and closed the doors, trying to restore order as Eddie giggled.

"Eddie, slow down!" he panted. Eddie just giggled louder and ran into the living room and up the stairs, climbing up on the banister fencing off the landing and dancing around as he balanced. Seamus paled further and a thought flashed through his head – Eddie toppling and cracking his head open.

"Eddie, don't! Get down!" Seamus shrieked.

"Jump!" Aleks chanted, finally tearing his eyes away from the game.

"Don't jump!" Seamus said frantically. Eddie giggled, and then held his nose and jumped off the banister, pulling his knees to his chest.

"Cannonball!" he yelled.

"Eddie!" Seamus cried. Eddie fell, and Seamus threw himself against the couch, knocking it back an inch and putting it under Eddie. Eddie smacked onto it, bouncing and laughing hysterically.

"Again! Again!" he yelled, uncurling himself from his ball and staring up at the roof and laughing. Seamus slumped against the ground, panting, eyes wide.

"Oh my god, don't do that ever again!" Seamus gasped.

"That was so much fun!" Eddie screamed, rolling off the couch and beating his fists against the ground. "Aleks! Give it a try!" Aleks moved to stand and Seamus yelled in fear, jumping up and tackling Aleks to the ground.

"That's it! Bed time!"

Eddie was fast asleep and Aleks was curled up in his bed shaking. The closet was making a weird noise and Aleks was very aware that the bunk above him was missing his older brother. Across the room, Eddie rolled over in his bed and Aleks shivered, pulling the covers over his head. The floorboards were creaking and Aleks could've sworn he heard a monster tapping on the window. The glowing stars glued to the roof shined dully and the little fox head charm on Eddie's school bag was glinting evilly. Aleks was extremely terrified. Eddie rolled over again and accidentally kicked the wall. The shelves shuddered and the books inched closer the edge. Aleks screwed his eyes shut, oblivious to the books. Then, one fell. It hit the ground with a loud bang and with a yelp; Aleks practically flew out of the room. Eddie just sighed in his sleep.

"Daddy?" Aleks whispered, standing at the top of the staircase. He could hear the TV and assumed his daddy and James had returned. Aleks crept down the staircase and stood stock still on the bottom step, looking at the front door and then to the left at the kitchen. It was dark and empty. But looking to the right revealed the flickering TV and Seamus sitting on the couch, watching a cartoon. Aleks gulped and then hopped off the last step, pulling the front of his blue shirt down and fiddling with the threads as he moved a step forward, standing in the entrance to the living room.

"Seamus?" Aleks said quietly. Seamus looked up and jumped back slightly in surprise.

"Um, yeah?" Seamus asked in confusion. Aleks looked down, and then up the staircase, and then back at Seamus, a pleading look in his eyes.

"I think there's a monster in my room. Can I sit with you for a while?" Aleks asked softly, voice quavering slightly. Seamus looked worried for a moment, checking the time quickly on the clock above the television.

"Uh… sure, I guess. Just don't tell your dad," Seamus shrugged. Aleks ran over quickly, flinging himself on the couch and curling up beside Seamus, wiggling up under his arm. Seamus froze.

"Um…" Seamus mumbled, lifting his arm up slightly. Aleks let out a little sigh and Seamus rolled his eyes, lowering his arm back down and turning his focus back to the cartoon.

"Thank you," Aleks said quietly. Seamus sighed.

"You can't stay down here forever or you'll get in trouble," Seamus muttered.

"But it's in the closet!" Aleks whimpered, looking up at Seamus with wide eyes. Seamus bit his lip and pulled a face for a split second as he thought.

"They aren't so bad. They usually just want a hug," Seamus replied.

"But it makes weird noises!" Aleks protested. "It growls and I hear it tapping on the window!"

"How could it tap on the window if it's in the closet?" Seamus said triumphantly. Aleks huffed and buried his head in Seamus' side.

"You don't understand 'cause you're a grown-up," Aleks mumbled.

"Me? A grown-up?" Seamus laughed. I'm nowhere near being a grown-up. I'm just not scared of monsters because I have someone to keep them away." Seamus stopped and waited, and Aleks' head slowly turned, looking up at Seamus again with a suspicious look.

"Who?" Aleks asked. Seamus sighed, looking away for a moment.

'You have to promise not to tell anyone, alright? It's silly," Seamus ordered. Aleks nodded eagerly.

I promise."

"Okay. Well, when I was… two, I guess, my mum got me this teddy bear and I would always pretend it was fighting away the monsters and nightmares when I was asleep. I kept believing, and it worked. I haven't had a nightmare since and nothing scary comes in my room. Maybe you should… like, get a friend too?" Aleks thought about it for a second, and then nodded slowly.

"I have my Optimus Prime head."

"Well… sure… Optimus Prime can make sure you don't get nightmares or something."

"He's awesome," Aleks said, nodding seriously.

"Um… okay," Seamus laughed. "You should go back to bed now, seriously." Aleks sighed and put his head back down, curling up tighter.

"I don't wanna," he moaned. Seamus opened his mouth to protest but then softened.

"Fine. But only five more minutes, okay?" Seamus said gruffly. Aleks smiled and wiggled closer.

"Thank you Seamus," he said in a sing-song voice. Seamus rolled his eyes but smiled softly.

"It's fine, Aleks."

Aleks didn't go back to bed five minutes later. Instead, half an hour after Dan returned with James to see Aleks asleep and curled up beside Seamus, who was also asleep and had his arm curled protectively around Aleks. Seamus' excuse was that he lost track of the time, but the day after Aleks said that Seamus was being his lucky friend and was keeping the monsters away.

Aleks didn't have a single bad dream that night.

IT'S SO FACKING CUTE OH MY GOD! I love Little Aleks so much. And yeah, I always imagined Seamus as the really cynical, semi-mature kid. Like not really being stupid despite his age and just being really... like he is now.

So yeah, that was fun to write. I'll try and do happier stuff for a while, too. For you guys, cause you deserve it. Basically: more cute stuff, possibly even MOOOORE Little Creatures (And new characters too, such as Dex and Jakey!) and go follow my Twitter so we can be friends and all that stuff :D

THANKS FOR READING!

(Yes. I'm in a good mood.)