RP: That's what friends are for...

[shh_megan]

Date: 21st June 2005
Characters: Megan, Wayne (and Ben)
Location: River Place
Status: Private
Summary: Wayne checks up on Megan and Ben
Completion: Complete

Comments

[shh_wayne]

After work, Wayne headed home to shower and change before his dinner with Megan and Ben. Normally, he dropped in to annoy Meggie at random times, whenever he had time and she was home, but he was glad she'd suggested dinner tonight. He felt like a lazy cat, wanting to just curl up with food and friends, and food he didn't have to cook himself? Bloody brilliant, of course.

Once he'd finished his shower, he got dressed and went into the kitchen. He grabbed the bottle of sparkling grape juice that was packaged like wine, and headed upstairs for dinner. When the door opened, he grinned down at Ben and looked up to wink at Megan.

"Evening, Ben." He glanced at Megan and arched a brow. "Stranger? You wound me, woman," he said, grabbing at his heart and grimacing before he leaned down to scoop up Ben. "I brought the beverage of choice for all dinner parties attended by mature diners." He handed her the bottle before stepping inside and kissing her cheek. "Evening, Meg. Hope you don't mind, but I'm kidnapping your son."

[shh_megan]

Megan accepted the bottle of sparkling grape juice with a laugh. "How high class," she teased, grinning at him as he scooped up Ben, who laughed happily.

"Sure, take him. Just make sure you're both back for dinner. Or else I'll keep all the ice cream for myself."

"Where're you takin' me?" Ben asked, glancing at Meg. "Cuz if it's crossed the street you gots to hold my hand. I'm not posed to cross the street wifout Mummy or Daddy."

[shh_wayne]

"Stick with me, kid, and I'll take you places," he promised, waggling his eyebrows at her. "Only the best for my girl."

"Ice cream?" He shifted Ben and glanced down at him. "I think your mum doesn't play fair," he whispered. "Exploiting a bloke's weakness for sweets? That's not on, Meggie. Right evil, I'd say."

Wayne smiled at Ben. "I'd hold your hand if we had to cross the street, promise. Wouldn't want Mummy to be unhappy with me. I've seen your mummy when she's angry, and I don't want to see that again," he said, shuddering deliberately. "She's scary."

"As for where I'm taking you, let's see. Maybe for a flight through the air?" he suggested before he held Ben out from him, keeping a tight grip on the squirming child, and spun around in a circle a few times. When he stopped, he laughed. "Nah, I'm too old for making myself dizzy, it seems. I dunno. Where do you wanna go?"

[shh_megan]

"How do I stick to you?" Ben asked, a cute puzzled look on his face. It always amused Megan at how literal her son could be at times. "Are you glue? Do you know a sticky spell? Can I know it too?" Ben fired off the questions at rapid rate, a trait he'd picked up from his father she was sure

[shh_wayne]

"Yeah, I know a sticky spell," Wayne said. "But I'm afraid I can't tell it to you until you're eleven and in school. Can't do magic until then, kiddo. But, as soon as you start school, I promise I'll teach you a great sticky spell."

He smirked at Megan. "Course, if your mum feeds me sweets and ice cream a lot before that birthday of yours, I dunno if I'd be able to remember it. Old people like me forget things easily when we've had too many sweets."

When Megan called out a stern warning from the kitchen, he put Ben down and whispered, "Our secret, mate."

Of course, as soon as she came back into the room, she was included in that 'our'. He shook his head and groaned. "If you can't trust a kid, who can you trust?" He ruffled Ben's hair and frowned at Megan. "Buzz what'sit?"

[shh_megan]

Ben pouted a little at not being able to know magics, and puffed his chest up. "I done 'dental magics before," he said proudly. "I gave Bob blue spots. And I'm gonna start school in Peptember. And I can read! Did you know that?"

Ben turned and looked at Megan seriously. "You gots to not feed Wayne sweets, Mummy. He's gots to teach me the sticky spell."

"I'll make sure that no sweets come across his path, Ben," she said mock seriously. "He shall never eat sweets again." She escaped to the kitchen before he could take revenge.

"No aposed to keep secrets from Mummies," Ben said, giggling when Wayne ruffled his hair. "'Snot po-lite."

Megan grinned at Wayne's question. "It's a cartoon character. From a Disney movie. He and his friend Liam became enamored with him in Disney World. He's an astronaut from the future."

"To infintee and beyond!" Ben shouted, pumping his fist in the air.

[shh_wayne]

"You can read? No, I didn't know that. Are you sure you're really five?" he asked, peering at Ben closely. "Not really an old man like me just pretending to be a kid, are you?"

He glared playfully at Megan. "No sweets? Not even you could be that cruel, Meggie. Besides, maybe I got that mixed up. I think my memory's better when I do have sweets," he confided to Ben. "See? I obviously need ice cream soon because my memory's already starting to go."

When Megan explained who Buzz whatever was, he nodded. "Okay. Disney I recognize. Not sure about space stations, though. Think the best I could do is a flight around town some day."

[shh_megan]

Ben giggled and shook his head. "Nope, I'm really and truly five! I can't read big people books though. Only books for kids like me!" Megan watched as he peered at Wayne closely. "You don't look old. You don't got crinkles in your face."

"Hmmm," Megan said, but she laughed. "Maybe you can have a little ice cream. Wouldn't want you to lose your memory so soon. Be such a shame."

"But it's gots to be after suppers," Ben insisted. "And you gots to eat all your food like a good boy!"

"That's right, Wayne. You've got to eat all your food like a good boy. I'll even give you a gold star, right next to Ben's." She gestured to the chart that was filled with twinkling, golden stars, one for every good behavior Ben exhibited.

"Yep. Gold stars are for when you make your bed and brush your teeth and eat your foods," Ben explained. "I gots lots!"

He bounced in Wayne's arms at the mention of flying and said, "On a broomstick? Can we play kid-itch?"

[shh_wayne]

"Oh, I can be a good boy," he promised, smiling innocently even as he winked at Megan. "And a gold star plus ice cream? That's just too much. You'll spoil me, Meggie."

He grinned at Ben. "Of course you get lots. You take after your mum, no doubt. Bright and focused."

"Yeah, on a broomstick, but only with lots of charms to protect you. No Quidditch, though, until you're older. Sorry, but it gives you something to look forward to, right?" he said, glancing at Megan. "Wouldn't let him get hurt, but should have asked first. Know that not everyone likes kids his age flying with an adult and all."

[shh_megan]

"Hmmm," she said again, amused. "I'm not sure you need much more spoiling Wayne Hopkins. It will go straight to your head

[shh_wayne]

"Sure, I can see your room. Pirates, huh? Are they gonna make me walk the plank?" he asked curiously. "You have their ship in your room or just hiding the pirates under your bed?"

He walked towards Ben's room, enjoying the chance to just relax for an hour or two with a good friend. It helped keep his mind off all the other things that kept wanting attention, from the centre to Zach to family to Mandy and back to Zach. It had been a couple of days since they'd had dinner after work, and he was still kicking himself for not snogging Zach until he forgot about anything but the feel of his lips.

"Bob's having babies? That's good, yeah?" he asked, glancing at Megan to confirm that it was good news. When she mentioned that Terry hadn't realized Bob's sexuality, he snorted. "Just a minute here. This is the father that you think this clever boy of yours takes after? The man who didn't notice that good old Bob was lacking something very important all this time? I stick with my theory that Ben takes after you, love."

[shh_megan]

"Only if you're a bad pirate. Are you a bad pirate?" Ben asked. "I don't 'fink you're a bad pirate, or Mummy wouldn't like you." He grinned. "And I gots a pirate ship too! Come see!"

"It's very good," Megan said smiling. "Not sure what we'll do with them all, Terry said the vet mentioned that Bob would have at least four if not five puppies." She sighed, and giggled a little bit. "You know Terry. He sometimes can't see the end of his nose it's so far buried in a book. And I thank you for the compliment."

Megan left the boys to their pirates and went to make sure Bob was comfortable in her soft bed at the end of the hall. Bob snuffled her hand and woofed softly. After satisfying herself that Bob was all set for the moment, she headed back to the kitchen just as the buzzer on the oven rang.

She turned it off and set it on a wire rack, before sticking her head in the hallway and shouted, "Oh no, the food pirates are stealing our food! Who ever will come save it?" dramatically.

[shh_wayne]

"Nah, I'm probably a good pirate," Wayne admitted. "Just not very bad, I guess. But if it means mummy likes me, it's all good."

He followed Ben into his room, making the appropriate ooh's and aah's over over the pirate stuff. He loved kids, even if he wasn't really around many these days, and it was always fun to see the world through their eyes. Reminded him that there was always hope as long as there were kids.

When Megan called out about pirates stealing food, he laughed and picked up Ben. "Shall we go save your mum?" he asked before he ran down the hall, barely stopping himself before he'd have slid and fallen on his arse. "Uh, you mentioned needing rescued?"

[shh_megan]

Megan bit her lower lip to keep from laughing as Wayne skidded into the kitchen, a giggly, bouncy Ben in his arms. He really was good with Ben, and she gave a silent thanks that he was her friend.

"Yes, if my table isn't full the bad pirates will come in, and I'll have no choice but to feed them." She pretended to look scared. "Does anyone know where I can find two good pirates to sit at the table and eat my food?"

"Me, Mummy! Me and Wayne can pro-tected you!" Ben exclaimed, looking around to make sure the bad pirates weren't near yet. "Right Wayne?"

[shh_wayne]

"Right," he agreed. "No ice cream for bad pirates. It's all ours." He looked shifty. "After we eat all our meal, Mum."

He winked at Megan before he walked towards the kitchen. "What do you need me to do to help?"