(no subject)

[giddygeek]

I'm still writing snippets, it's just that they are mostly not behaving. But whatever! The third one is for trixiesfic, an 11k snippet *rolls eyes at self*.

~~~~~

Joey drops Briahna off at their house just before dinner. He kneels in the foyer, giving her a big hug and saying, "Thanks for babysitting your uncles, Bri. You know how much trouble they get into when no one's around."

He winks at Lance over her head as she huffs; he's been using that line since she was four, and she's stopped falling for it, mostly. Now that she's ten, she doesn't think she needs to be watched over, she thinks her parents are overprotective. The charade of babysitting her uncles is pretty much the only thing that keeps her from putting up a fuss.

"Your uncle Chris was planning a run for the border," Lance says as Joey stands and tugs on his daughter's ponytail. "I'm pretty sure he said something about stealing all of Canada's ice cream."

Briahna rolls her eyes, just like Lance taught her. "You'd catch him before he got to Georgia," she says, and Lance grins back at Joey, shrugs. She caught on fast, this one. Makes her uncles proud, although her parents keep a running tally of the grey hairs she's caused them.

"That's a dirty, rotten lie, kid," Chris calls from the living room. He's been parked in front of the Playstation, 'practicing' and waiting impatiently for her to be dropped off. "I wouldn't make it out of Orlando. Now get in here so I can kick your butt."

Bri sighs but darts down the hall, saying, "Bye, Dad," over her shoulder as Chris shouts something about teaching her a little respect for her betters. Their beagle puppy, Millie, barks and chases at her heels.

Joey hugs Lance, fast and tight. "We'll be here by eleven tomorrow," he says. "I want my kid returned in the same condition you got her, all right?"

"Don't tell me that, tell them," Lance says, hugging back. "It wasn't my idea to play salon last time. I still don't know where they got that dye. I think Chris must've made it while I wasn't looking or something."

"Yeah, well, tell 'em that if I'm not happy to see her when I get her back, they're both gonna have restricted privileges for a month." Joey drapes Briahna's overnight bag over Lance's shoulder, grins. "See you in the morning, man. And thanks."

Lance waves that off, closes the door behind Joey as he jogs back to his car. He debates whether or not he can trust Briahna and Chris alone long enough to bring her bag in her favorite guest room, then drops it at the foot of the stairs and heads for the living room.

He should know better than to even pause to consider it, really, he decides when he steps into the room and finds Briahna kneeling on Chris' back, giving him a ferocious noogie while he flails around--just gently enough not to knock her off, Lance notes, and he smiles even as he plucks her up and tosses her over his shoulder.

"Green beans for dessert," he announces, marching toward the dining room with a giggling Briahna, as Chris scrambles up to follow.

"Uncle Lance, you're sooooo meaaaan," Chris says mournfully.

"And we're gonna play Monopoly till you guys drop, for that little comment," Lance says, grinning as they both groan. He loves it when Briahna comes over to babysit.

~~~~~

"The kid's cheating," Chris says, leaning against Lance's shoulder and frowning down at the sundaes Lance is assembling. "And what are you, a freak? You think that's enough peanut butter? You ever made a sundae before?"

"You want green beans?" Lance asks, raising an eyebrow. "No? Then shut up and get back out there before she robs us both blind."

"She was such a good girl before you taught her how to be the banker." Chris reaches for the peanut butter, scowls sulkily when Lance slaps at his hand, bites down on Lance's shoulder. "You don't loosen up with that sauce, I'm gonna have you for dessert, buddy," he growls.

"Get out of the kitchen before I take you up on that," Lance murmurs, smiling, and Chris is nudging him back against the counter when Briahna shouts, "Uncle Chris, you just landed on Boardwalk! I've got hotels on Boardwalk!"

Chris rests his forehead against Lance's and heaves a huge sigh. Lance runs a hand up his back. "Better go pay her," he says. "You know how she gets when you try to cheat."

Chris kisses him quick, bites his bottom lip. "You know how I get when I don't get what I want," he grumbles.

"Wait till after she's asleep and I'll make it worth your while."

"But by then the ice cream will have melted," Chris whines.

"I'm sure we can find something to do with the peanut butter." Lance grins as Chris' eyes go narrow, speculative, then shoves him back gently. "But not if you don't go already, before--"

"Uncle Chris! You're gonna go to jail if you don't pay me!" Briahna shouts.

"I'm going." Chris' says eyes are still narrowed, focused on Lance's face. "You better not forget you made that offer, or you'll be on restricted privileges," he warns and Lance laughs, waves the peanut butter in front of his face.

"For later," he promises. "Now, get, before I have to bail you out of jail."

~~~~~

Chris and Briahna pass out on the couch at roughly the same time, Millie sprawled across Bri's lap, drooling. Lance cleans up the bowls of ice cream, the cups of juice, the Monopoly board, the video game controllers, the popcorn, and three random dominoes. Sometimes, he really has to wonder just what it is the two of them do when he's not looking.

He picks up a copy of their newest CD and a black marker, frowns over the handlebar mustache they'd drawn on him and the horns they'd drawn on JC, and realizes that sometimes, he really doesn't want to know.

He brings Bri's bag to her room and turns down the blankets. Jackson jumps up and rustles around on the foot of the bed, making himself a nest, and Lance says, "I'm gonna shut the door, you'll be stuck in here all night if you don't go now," but Jackson just sighs at him and closes his eyes. Lance shrugs. Briahna's been Jackson's favorite person since she learned where the cookie jar is, so it's really no less than he should expect.

Back downstairs, he leans over Chris and gently shakes him awake. "Can you carry her upstairs?" he whispers. She's small for her age, light, still perfect for carrying, although no one gets to much anymore. Chris isn't really awake but he nods, gets up, stretches. Lance moves Millie to her crate, then heads for the kitchen as Chris climbs the stairs with Briahna.

By the time he gets to their room, Chris has left his clothes in a pile on the floor, tossed their blankets to the foot of their bed, and is brushing his teeth. Lance stands in the bathroom door and says, "Why don't you just do that later?"

Chris raises an eyebrow at him and spits into the sink. "Because I'm not gonna wake up again at three even for the sake of dental hygiene?"

Lance smiles at him, holds up the bottle of peanut butter sauce. "Who says you'll be asleep at three?"

~~~~~

In the morning, Lance wakes up to an empty bed. He wanders downstairs and Millie's not in her crate; from the kitchen windows he can see Chris and Briahna in the backyard with her and Jackson. He watches them play for a little while before putting on the coffee and getting bowls out for cereal. Joey's not gonna have much to complain about, for once--her hair is still the right length and color, anyway.

They tromp in while he's pouring food for the dogs, Briahna diving for the Cheerios, Millie diving for Jackson's bowl, Chris giving Lance a kiss and a smack on the ass, then a big grin when Lance glares at him. "That's what you get for oversleeping," he says. "Well, that and something you'll find out about later."

"Whatever trouble you and Bri caused, I don't want to hear about it until after coffee." Lance pours himself a huge mug, adds sugar, ignores Chris and Briahna's laughter as the doorbell rings and he heads down the hall, sipping.

Fortunately, Joey has a cardboard tray with coffees in his hand, so Lance pours his out into the bushes off their porch. "They swapped the sugar for salt," he explains, pouring the fresh, safe coffee into his mug.

Joey nods. They do that every single time Briahna sleeps over, after all. It never seems to get old. "What color is her hair this morning?" he asks, following Lance back to the kitchen.

"It would be neon green, but Lance made us dye it back," Chris says, looking up from his bowl of cereal. "Uncle Lance is a meanie, right, kid?"

"He lost at Monopoly, though," Briahna says. "I had Boardwalk. And Park Place."

"Funny how I don't remember you buying Boardwalk and Park Place though, huh?" Lance shakes his head and tells Joey, "Your kid cheats like you wouldn't believe."

"Yeah, well, she learned it from the best." Joey smiles at his daughter. "Your uncles behave last night?"

"Uncle Chris was an angel," she says solemnly while Chris grins, smug. "Uncle Lance got two time-outs, though. He was bad."

Lance rolls his eyes and sips his coffee while Joey shakes his head. "He always was," Joey says. "Right from day one. It's a good thing he's got you around to keep him in line, huh?"

"Yeah." Bri slurps the milk out of her bowl before carrying it to the sink and rinsing it out. "It's hard work though. I think I should get fifteen dollars for this time."

"I think Uncle Chris probably already gave you five for the time-outs thing," Lance murmurs, raising an eyebrow at Chris.

"She scammed me for seven," he says cheerfully.

Joey laughs and hands Briahna a ten dollar bill--her 'wages' for a full night of babysitting. "Say goodbye and go get your bag," he tells her. "Mom's waiting for us outside."

Briahna carefully folds the ten and slides it into her pocket, then gives Chris a hug and Lance a kiss on the cheek. Jackson and Millie each get a cookie, although Jackson gets a bigger one--it's mutual, their adoration of each other. Then she dashes down the hall, the puppy giving chase.

"Only two time-outs?" Joey says as soon as she's gone. "You getting old, Lance?"

"Tell Briahna she got me in big trouble," Lance says. "Tell her next time, she'll be lucky if she doesn't get green beans for breakfast."

Joey slaps him on the shoulder as Briahna shouts, "Dad! Come on!" like he's seriously holding her up by staying to chat for a second. He says, "Kelly wants to know if you're gonna want your dinner tonight or what."

"Better tell her tomorrow," Chris says. "Me and Lance have a lot of. talking. to do. About his behavior last night."

"We ran out of peanut butter," Lance explains to Joey, shrugging. "But don't worry," he tells Chris. "I'll make up for that later. After I've finished my coffee."

"Da-aaaad!"

Joey rolls his eyes. "Call and let us know when you'll be around. And listen--I don't want to hear about you guys misbehaving when Bri's not around to keep an eye on you, got it?"

"Don't worry about it, you won't hear a single thing," Lance says, smiling. He gets up to put his mug and Chris' unfinished bowl of cereal in the sink, then he pushes Joey towards the door. "Go, your kid is waiting."

"So," Chris says when Lance has come around and pulled him up from his chair and out of the kitchen as the front door slams behind Joey and Briahna. "How're you gonna make that peanut butter thing up to me?"

"I was thinking maybe a couple rounds of Naked Twister would do it." Lance stops and kisses Chris slowly, lingering over it. Then he smiles. "And to really make up for my bad behavior, I'll even let you cheat."

~~~~~

Comments

[halimede.livejournal.com]

Aw, sweet! And I love the shrewd kid. :)

Re:

[giddygeek.livejournal.com]

Hee, thank you, Halimede. Glad you liked! :)

[mickeym.livejournal.com]

That was wonderful! eeeeeee! future!Trickyfish, all snarky and comfortable and loving :) Very, very nice. Thank you :)

Re:

[giddygeek.livejournal.com]

Man, how much do I love future!fics? Lots. So much fun. :) Glad you liked it too, Kim--thank you!

[lincolnkw.livejournal.com]

whoo! I love future stories!

[trixiesfic.livejournal.com]

Eeeee! It's perfect! Absolutely perfect! They're all older and domestic, but still snarky as hell. And sweet. Awwwww. And Bri! Socute. I love it very, very much.

Thank you!