#ARE ABIGAIL AND SEBASTIAN BABYSITTING?? WHY IS SHE THERE ALONE??

[dragonairice]

WHY IS THIS CHILD ALLOWED TO WANDER AROUND BY HERSELF

[everywhereallofthetime]

Some Girl ... Part 4

Word Count: 2.34k

Warnings: None.

// * // * //

Charlotte and Shawn were sitting together on the couch, in the wonderfully cool house, taking a break from a heat which had only gotten worse since that afternoon. Shawn’s feet were up on the ottoman and Charlotte was curled up beside him, tablet in hand.

She had taken charge of the music, purposely avoiding any of Shawn’s songs, which almost always found their way into her playlists.

“You have amazing taste in music,” Shawn complimented.

“She really does,” Josh said, having overheard Shawn, plopping down beside them on the incredibly comfortable, over-stuffed sectional. “She sends me playlists all the time and they’re always amazing. Ask her to make you a playlist. You won’t be disappointed.”

“Charlotte, darling, will you make me a playlist?” he asked her, with a lazy smile.

The way he said her name, followed by ‘darling’, set her heart fluttering. “Of course I will,” she smiled back.

Josh looked over to where Annie was entertaining a giggling Sebastian. “He looks like you,” he casually said to Shawn. “He has your mouth, and the cleft in his chin is yours. He has Charlie’s eyes and nose though.”

“Thank God. I always thought my nose was too big.”

Charlotte smirked to herself. Shawn was a better actor than she expected him to be. He had played the part of ‘Peter’, and Sebastian’s dad, amazingly well all evening.

“I like your nose,” she said to Shawn, giving it a little tweak.

“I like your eyes,” he smiled, meeting them with his own. “You have beautiful eyes.”

Josh teased them by making a puking sound. “I’m going to grab another beer,” he said as he stood. “Can I get you guys anything?” he asked.

“I’ll take one,” Shawn answered.

“I’m good for now,” Charlotte added. “Thanks Josh.”

She laid her head on Shawn’s shoulder without realizing it. He didn’t mind. He liked that she felt comfortable enough with him to do so.

He followed her gaze to her baby boy.

“I couldn’t find a sitter...

“Well, that’s not entirely true,” she confessed. “I probably could have found a sitter if I had tried,” she chucked. “Elisa and Jack, or Mason, usually babysit for me. It’s hard to find someone I can trust as much as them. It’s a good thing they don’t mind, even on nights like this. They love having him around.”

“He’s such a good baby,” Shawn commented. “And so happy.”

“I got lucky. This is almost always him. Bash loves people, loves the attention, loves the busyness, but you’ll know when he’s had enough. He’ll be ready for bed before the hour is up.”

// * // * //

Shawn found Charlotte in the kitchen. He had been in the basement playing darts with Doug and Rob. Sebastian was in his arms, squirming and starting to whine. “He’s had enough. The second he saw me, he cried and nearly jumped into my arms.”

“I saw it coming,” she tittered. “I’ve already warmed a bottle. He might not be ready to eat and sleep quite yet; he usually likes a little one-on-one quiet time to wind down first.”

Charlotte went to take him from Shawn, but Shawn asked, suddenly unsure, “Could I maybe take him up and get him settled? I could use a little quiet, too.”

She didn’t hesitate. “Of course.” She handed him the bottle. “Up the stairs, first door on the left.”

Half an hour later, Charlotte was standing in the doorway to hers and Sebastian’s bedroom, leaning against the doorframe, quietly watching.

Shawn had gotten Sebastian into his pajamas and the bottle on the side table next to the rocker was empty. Sebastian was nearly asleep on Shawn’s chest.

In that moment, it was all too easy to imagine that Shawn really was Sebastian’s dad. She almost cried with the precious perfectness of it.

The young man who, only a few hours earlier, had said he hadn’t had much of a reason to sing lately, was singing softly to her son.

She wanted so badly to acknowledge it, but even more, she didn’t want to startle him into stopping.

When he finished his lullaby, he looked at Charlotte with a tint of pink, unrelated to having been in the sun, creeping from his cheeks down his neck. He knew she had been there for a while, watching and listening.

Shawn lowered his lips to Sebastian’s little head. “He smells so good.”

She smiled tenderly. “His baby scent is amazing.”

“It’s more than that. He has his own scent, but he also smells like you.”

It felt good to hear those small compliments. Shawn had spouted little affirmations like that all evening, whether he had realized it or not. But she noticed.

She finally entered and crossed the room. She stroked Sebastian’s head and said, “I’m sorry I left you alone for as long as I did.”

“I didn’t mind,” he smiled, genuinely.

Shawn helped her carefully transition a sleeping Sebastian from his chest to her arms. After a few snuggles and kisses, she laid Sebastian in his crib. He hadn’t stirred once. They stood side by side, watching over him for a few moments.

“He’s a good sleeper,” she said quietly. “He’ll be out for about five, six hours before he wakes up hungry again. I’ll give him another bottle, but then he’ll go back to sleep.”

“It’s nice of your aunt and uncle to have a room for you and Bash.”

“This was my room when I lived here. My aunt helped me redecorate after I told her I was pregnant. She said we’d always have a home here if we ever needed it.” She smiled fondly with the memory.

“When did you live here?” Shawn asked. “And why? If you don’t mind my asking. The way you introduced Elisa, Jack, and Mason had me wondering... What happened to your parents?”

“I lost my parents when I was fourteen, the summer before high school started.”

“Oh. I’m so sorry, Charlotte.” He gently stroked her back.

“Elisa, Jack, and Mason took me in what feels like a lifetime ago now.”

“Are you an only child?”

“I have an older brother, Jonah...

“I don’t talk with him very often and I see him even less.”

Shawn could tell there was a story there, but it was one that could wait for another time. “Come on,” he said. He took her hand and started to pull her from the room. “Let’s go have another drink and see if there are any leftovers.”

// * // * //

Shawn and Charlotte were sitting on the edge of the pool, close enough for their thighs to touch and their arms to brush, their feet dangling in the water.

Mason, Doug, Rob, and Josh were at the other side of the pool on floaties. They looked like large children, which Charlotte supposed they were. Immaturity aside, her cousins were her best friends. She had always gotten along better with the boys than the girls.

While Valerie was off with Abigail and Morgan, doing very girlie things, Charlotte was wreaking havoc on the neighborhood with Josh, Doug, and Rob, with Mason on their tails.

Beth and Lyle had gone home to relieve their babysitter. Zak and Tori had shown up after all, much to everyone’s surprise, but they only stayed for a couple of drinks and a quick bite before they were off again, taking Annie with them.

Elisa and Jack, and Will and Diana had moved inside to play cribbage.

Charlotte was quiet enough for long enough that Shawn bumped his shoulder against hers to pull her from her thoughts. “What are you thinking?”

“Have I done anything to make you uncomfortable in any way tonight? Tangibly?” She met his eyes. He was remarkably close.

“What? Of course not, why would you ask that?”

She dropped her eyes and watched the back patio lights ripple across the water. “I’m a very... instinctual person. I crave physical touch. I love to touch; I love to be touched. I’m affectionate just to be affectionate. It’s intrinsic to who I am.” She looked at him again. “It’s how I show someone I care about them. Elisa always says I’m a Cancer who was mistakenly born under the sign of Aquarius,” she smiled softly. “I’m not often bothered with those I know and care about in my personal space, and sometimes I forget other people don’t always feel the same way. I want to make sure I haven’t crossed any lines.

“Well, aside from that one kiss earlier.

“I’m sorry about that.”

“I’m not,” he smiled. “I kissed you back, didn’t I?”

“You did,” she blushed. “And it was a very nice kiss, in case you were wondering,” she smirked. “I can only imagine how you kiss when there’s love behind it... Not that I’m imagining kissing you again... Okay, you need to stop me from saying anything more.”

“Do I have to kiss you again?” he teased.

“Shut up,” she giggled.

He laughed.

Without warning, she pushed him into the pool. He broke the surface and swam back to her, still laughing. He pulled himself up and onto the ledge, anchoring himself by the underside of his arms. Everything below his shoulders was still in the water.

She absentmindedly ran her fingers through his wet hair, pushing it out of his eyes and off his forehead. “I know you’re not looking for a relationship, after what you’ve recently been through, and I don’t want you to worry that I am, because I’m not. I mean, I’m open to it if the right person comes along, but I’m not actively looking. I like to think we’re friends now, and everyone can use another friend, right? And who’s to say it can’t be the kind of friend they don’t have to have strict boundaries with?”

The little lines between his eyes were adorable, but they also said he didn’t know exactly where she was going with this.

She groaned. “That didn’t come out the way I meant it to. I’m usually better at organizing my thoughts.”

“You were doing fine a moment ago.” He dropped a little kiss on her knee. “Try again. Uncomplicate it. I promise it will be okay.”

“If you ever want or need to be hugged or kissed, I’m here,” she said simply. “I want you to feel comfortable coming to me if all you need is a little affection. No games, no strings.”

“So, are we talking...friends with benefits?” he smirked.

Surprisingly, she hadn’t been thinking that, but now she was. Damn him. She tried to push him into the water again but he pulled her in instead. She surfaced and splashed him. “You suck!”

He was laughing harder than he had all day and she couldn’t help but laugh as well. Their gaiety was infectious. Josh flipped Doug, Doug pulled Rob in by his ankle, and Mason laughed so hard he tipped himself over.

Charlotte and Shawn dragged themselves out of the water before they drowned.

// * // * //

Mason took Shawn upstairs to the room he also still had at his parents’ house. “We’re close enough to the same size. I have dry shorts you can borrow.”

He tossed a pair of blue basketball shorts at Shawn, as well as a new package of Calvin Klein’s. “You can have a pair of those, too. Mom always tucks a pack of new underwear in my top drawer. As embarrassing as it may be, - nineteen and my mom still buys me underwear, - I kind of appreciate it,” he laughed.

“I kind of appreciate it right now, too,” Shawn chuckled. “Thanks, man.”

“No problem... We’re going to start a poker game. You in?”

“Absolutely.”

“Cool. Washroom is just outside the door, to the right. Fresh towels are in the linen closet. I’ll meet you downstairs with a whiskey tonic.”

// * // * //

Shawn knocked quietly on Charlotte’s bedroom door. She eased it open a moment later.

She had changed into a pair of small, black, boy shorts and a pink, body-hugging, lace-trimmed camisole. You would never know she had just had a baby six months earlier. His eyes raked over her form and she did nothing to stop him. She had also noticed him appreciating her figure in her bikini when she had met the boys at the pool. She liked the way he looked at her.

Her hair was long and loose, wavy, and still a little bit wet.

When his eyes finally settled on hers again, she said, “Come on in.”

He threw himself onto his back on Charlotte’s bed, folded his hands on his stomach, and sighed.

She crawled onto the mattress and sat cross-legged beside him. “What’s up?”

“I really like your family.”

They spoke softly so as not to wake Sebastian.

“Me too,” she smiled.

“The more I get to know them, the more I like them, and the more I like them, the worse I feel about lying to them.”

She twirled locks of his damp hair around her fingers.

“I want them to know my name is Shawn and not Peter. I want them to know who I really am. I want them to know that even though Bash is my new best friend, he’s not actually my son. I want them to know that even though we only met six hours ago, his mom is amazing and that they should be so proud of her.”

Charlotte leaned over and kissed his forehead.

“I want them to know that welcoming me into their home tonight has been exactly what I needed to help pull me out of a bad place.”

“If you want to tell them, we can tell them. The sooner they’re told the truth, the easier it will be.”

“I don’t want the night to end quite yet.”

“You’re afraid it will?”

“I don’t know.”

“They already think you’re wonderful. I really don’t think that’s going to change. They’ll understand.”

// * // * //

Part 5