A little sister is a little bit of childhood
Characters: Robbie and Susie Bradley
Authors: keeley_lamb
Date set: 2023 (Robbie is 16, Susie is 4)
Rating: Anyone
Summary: Robbie needs to study for exams. Susie comes along and vetoes that idea.
“We have a playdate.”
Robbie grunted, and when the finger poking his side didn’t stop, glanced up at Susie. “What?”
“We have a playdate,” the little blonde repeated, frowning.
His school books were spread around him on the sofa and coffee table, each open, with notes colouring the margins. His exams were quickly approaching, and he wasn’t nearly as prepared as he wanted to be. He didn’t have time to play. “We’ll have to reschedule, Suse. I’m sorry.”
Her frown deepened and she grabbed his arm, tugging insistently. “Mummy says you’re not allowed to reschedule with me,” she told him, putting her weight into it as she pulled. Robbie didn’t budge.
“Just this once?” he asked, recognizing a losing battle when he saw it. Susie wouldn’t leave until he got up to play with her, but there was no harm in asking.
She glowered, releasing his arm to cross hers. “Don’t be a poo pants, Robbie.”
“A p-” he cut himself off and sighed. There was no way to argue logically with a four year old, especially once the name calling started. If he let her bait him, he would be the one coming out looking like an imbecile. “Okay, fine. But only for a little while.”
Susie squealed and grabbed his hand, dragging him toward the door as soon as he was on his feet. He barely had time to grab a textbook to bring with him. “We’re going to build a wall in the garden so the monster doesn’t break through.”
Monster. He should have known. Susie had been on something of a monster kick for the past few weeks; unwilling to sleep in her own room unless someone was in there with her - usually him, on the floor - or creeping out and getting into bed with their parents. It made sense that it had spilled over into playtime, too.
“Whatever happened to tea parties? Don’t you have tea parties anymore?” He couldn’t believe he was asking that, but at least tea parties took place indoors and were mostly painless now. Robbie was led toward a blanket sitting at the edge of the garden, obviously where the wall was to be erected, and Susie grabbed a stick.
“You have to dig the moat,” she told him, knocking the book from his hands. “Dig the moat before the monster comes. It will slow it down.”
“Can’t Aidan dig the moat when he gets back? Or Andrew?”
“Too late,” she cried, walking backwards, tugging at the neck on her t-shirt. “It’s got me. Save me, Robbie! Save me!” When he didn’t move or reply, she tried again. “It’s pulling me to his cave. It’s really yucky.”
“Susie!” he snapped, pinching the bridge of his nose. “I don’t have time for this.
Robbie bent to straighten up his books, and when he glanced up, he groaned. His sister was the very picture of dejection; shoulders slumped, head bowed. He couldn’t see her face, but he would just bet her lower lip was trembling.
“It’s got me, Robbie,” she told him mournfully. “Save me.”
He straightened up slowly, sighing, then let out a shout. Grabbing the wooden sword Aidan and Aaron had left out after playing pirates, he charged toward her.
“Let go of her,” he shouted. One arm went around Susie and he hauled her up over his shoulder as he battled imaginary foes. “You mess with my sister, you mess with me!”
“Get him! Get the bastard!” Susie shouted gleefully.
In the aftermath of the fierce battle, they retreated back to the blanket. They were laying flat on their stomachs, staring over the line of bricks that made up the outer wall to little ones’ fort - and the boundary to their mum’s garden, that they were never to cross unless they were weeding - to keep a lookout for more monsters, and Robbie glanced over at her, lips quirking.
“Hey,” he poked her, “when did you start saying bastard?”
Susie just giggled.
Authors: keeley_lamb
Date set: 2023 (Robbie is 16, Susie is 4)
Rating: Anyone
Summary: Robbie needs to study for exams. Susie comes along and vetoes that idea.
“We have a playdate.”
Robbie grunted, and when the finger poking his side didn’t stop, glanced up at Susie. “What?”
“We have a playdate,” the little blonde repeated, frowning.
His school books were spread around him on the sofa and coffee table, each open, with notes colouring the margins. His exams were quickly approaching, and he wasn’t nearly as prepared as he wanted to be. He didn’t have time to play. “We’ll have to reschedule, Suse. I’m sorry.”
Her frown deepened and she grabbed his arm, tugging insistently. “Mummy says you’re not allowed to reschedule with me,” she told him, putting her weight into it as she pulled. Robbie didn’t budge.
“Just this once?” he asked, recognizing a losing battle when he saw it. Susie wouldn’t leave until he got up to play with her, but there was no harm in asking.
She glowered, releasing his arm to cross hers. “Don’t be a poo pants, Robbie.”
“A p-” he cut himself off and sighed. There was no way to argue logically with a four year old, especially once the name calling started. If he let her bait him, he would be the one coming out looking like an imbecile. “Okay, fine. But only for a little while.”
Susie squealed and grabbed his hand, dragging him toward the door as soon as he was on his feet. He barely had time to grab a textbook to bring with him. “We’re going to build a wall in the garden so the monster doesn’t break through.”
Monster. He should have known. Susie had been on something of a monster kick for the past few weeks; unwilling to sleep in her own room unless someone was in there with her - usually him, on the floor - or creeping out and getting into bed with their parents. It made sense that it had spilled over into playtime, too.
“Whatever happened to tea parties? Don’t you have tea parties anymore?” He couldn’t believe he was asking that, but at least tea parties took place indoors and were mostly painless now. Robbie was led toward a blanket sitting at the edge of the garden, obviously where the wall was to be erected, and Susie grabbed a stick.
“You have to dig the moat,” she told him, knocking the book from his hands. “Dig the moat before the monster comes. It will slow it down.”
“Can’t Aidan dig the moat when he gets back? Or Andrew?”
“Too late,” she cried, walking backwards, tugging at the neck on her t-shirt. “It’s got me. Save me, Robbie! Save me!” When he didn’t move or reply, she tried again. “It’s pulling me to his cave. It’s really yucky.”
“Susie!” he snapped, pinching the bridge of his nose. “I don’t have time for this.
Robbie bent to straighten up his books, and when he glanced up, he groaned. His sister was the very picture of dejection; shoulders slumped, head bowed. He couldn’t see her face, but he would just bet her lower lip was trembling.
“It’s got me, Robbie,” she told him mournfully. “Save me.”
He straightened up slowly, sighing, then let out a shout. Grabbing the wooden sword Aidan and Aaron had left out after playing pirates, he charged toward her.
“Let go of her,” he shouted. One arm went around Susie and he hauled her up over his shoulder as he battled imaginary foes. “You mess with my sister, you mess with me!”
“Get him! Get the bastard!” Susie shouted gleefully.
In the aftermath of the fierce battle, they retreated back to the blanket. They were laying flat on their stomachs, staring over the line of bricks that made up the outer wall to little ones’ fort - and the boundary to their mum’s garden, that they were never to cross unless they were weeding - to keep a lookout for more monsters, and Robbie glanced over at her, lips quirking.
“Hey,” he poked her, “when did you start saying bastard?”
Susie just giggled.