"No problem. We don't mind."

☆

 "I can't believe you have to do this every school day." Archie says, taking weary steps up the street, after getting off the bus.

"You get used to it." Bay sighs, as he matches the weary walk Archie was taking.

"Is your sister still hot? I've not seen her in ages." Archie smiles as absentmindedly kicks a random stone. He used to have a crush on Gia. 

Bay looks at Archie, giving off a sarcastic laugh. "I can't believe you. You've just been chatting up a girl, and now you're asking about my sister?"

Archie smiles to himself, holding up his hands. "Woah there! I'm just asking."

"She has a boyfriend. So you have no chance. Not that you did anyway."  Bay jokes.

"Don't be harsh. I reckon I could have had a chance. I am nearly eighteen." Archie tries to hold up his stance as he speaks. Bay just side glances Archie, not even bothering to answer. 

Eventually, they reach the front door and head through it, to be greeted by a hive of activity, with Bay's mum in the kitchen, putting on her coat. "Mum. Where are you going?"

"Sorry sweetheart. I've been called into work, last minute." She can see the disappointment on his face.  He felt like he never saw her these days and with his long school days, he saw her even less. She places an affectionate hand on his cheek. "There's some pizza in the oven....oh and please help your sister with the little ones. She has Owen coming over tonight...she's not happy I've gotten called in."  Bay silently nods as she removes her hand, feeling the guilt for not being the mother she wanted to be. 

She barely sees Archie, who is just standing shy of the door. "Oh hi Archie. Lovely to see you." Archie nods in recognition as she rushes past and out of the door.

Bay and Archie stand in the kitchen for a minute to acclimatise from the mother whirlwind which just occured. He takes off his coat and puts his bag away, Archie doing the same, before Bay re-enters the kitchen and finds some oven gloves in order to check the pizza. "Food!" He shouts at the top of his voice. There is a sudden stampede of feet as his siblings filter around the kitchen table. Mia and Maya, his 6 year old twin sisters and Sim, his 10 year old brother. Finally, Gia, his 20 year old big sister. 

Gia sees Archie sat amongst her siblings. "Oh hey Archie. Long time no see." She gives him a warm smile, knowing full well about the crush he had on her in the past. She still had the heart picture he had pushed under her bedroom door, when he was 12. 

Archie doesn't know why, but Gia still had a bit of an effect on him. "Hi." is all he can muster, as he feels a blush on his cheeks. 

Gia then turns her attention to Bay. "So Owen is coming over tonight and I need you to take care of this lot for me...and we're having the living room, so you can't come in." 

Bay sighs, throwing his pizza back on his plate in annoyance. "Aah why? Archie is here!" He wasn't sure what made him more annoyed. The fact that he had to babysit, or the fact he couldn't access the only decent tv in the house.

"I know it's a pain, but Mum was supposed to be here. You know she has to work if she gets the chance. Plus, I've not seen Owen since he's gotten back from college. You know I never usually ask...So just do it for me...please." 

"No problem, we don't mind." Archie finds himself saying, much to the annoyance of Bay.

"Archie, you are the best." She air blows him a kiss, which causes Archie to blush once again.

Bay takes yet another sigh. It seems any girl was his weakness. 

***

"Archibald …Please can we make you up?" Mia and Maya had gotten lipstick and eye makeup from somewhere and were looking for prey. 

"Make sure I look real pretty." Archie smiles, putting a headband in his hair to take his bangs off his face. He sits on the bedroom floor and crosses his legs ready. He had a lot of time for the twin girls. He remembered them being born. He didn't have any siblings, so had kind of adopted Bay's, spending a lot of time at the Brennon household before they had to move across town. 

Meanwhile Bay and Sim are sitting on Bay's bed, playing some racing game on the tv.  Bay keeps on glancing over at Archie, smiling to himself as red lipstick is painted haphazardly on his lips. He was reminded at that moment what a good friend Archie actually was. How many seventeen year old boys would let themselves be painted up by two kids? Maybe he shouldn't let this Lena situation get in the way of what they had. 

"Haha I win! You suck!" Sim suddenly shouts. 

Bay looks at the screen to see that Sim had beaten him to the finish line. "I was easy on you,"  He exclaims. 

"No. I beat you because you were shit!" Sim announces. 

 Bay lightly slaps Sim's arm. "Language!...your sisters are in the room." 

"I've heard that word before." Maya declares..."And I've heard mother fudge" Archie bursts out laughing.

Mia now pipes up. "That's not how you say it. It's mother fu..."

"RIGHT!" That's it. Bed time."  Bay gets up off the bed and ushers the girls out of his room, to wash and brush their teeth before bed. Archie is left on the floor with a painted face.

Sim looks at Archie sat on the floor. "That weirdly suits you." He comments.

"Thankyou." Archie answers laughing, as he gets up and walks across to the small wall mirror to take a look. "Should I adopt this look?" 

"If you want. Men wear makeup too." Sim shrugs, as a moment later, Bay re enters the room. 

"What do you think, Bay. Do I look attractive?" Archie looks at Bay, his lashes fluttering. 

"What?" Bay look at his friend. He suddenly felt unsure how to answer. "What do you mean?" 

"Sim says it suits me. The makeup." Archie laughs. 

"Oh, right." Bay laughs along. He wanted to change the subject.  "Right Sim, you next. Archie,  go wait in the kitchen. I'll see you in a bit." Archie nods as he heads in the direction of the kitchen. 

As Archie is sitting at the kitchen table, face still plastered in lipstick and eyeshadow, the lounge door opens, as a tall man exits the room and walks into the kitchen. The man stares at Archie briefly before saying. "Hey."

"Hey." Archie responds back. 

The male heads to the fridge, getting out a bottle of wine, before going back into the lounge, not quite shutting the door behind him. Archie assumes that this must be Gia's boyfriend Owen. He looks at his own painted face in the reflection of the kitchen window. That must have been the weirdest encounter ever. He then looks in the direction of the crack in the door, seeing Owen and Gia on one of the couches. He looks at the back of their heads as they get closer and closer until their lips meet in a kiss. 

Many thoughts flash through Archie's mind. First and foremost that he should look away, but he wondered what it would be like to kiss someone, he wanted to see how they were kissing. Having never actually kissed anyone himself, he thought maybe he could see some kind of technique occurring. Secondly, it was just plain turning him on, which was not good, considering he was far from home. 

He forces himself to stop staring and looks at the table. Just as Bay enters the kitchen. "Bathroom's free. You can go wash your face now." Without a word, but with haste, Archie makes a dash for the bathroom. 

***

It's getting late and both boys have been stuck in the kitchen for what felt like forever.  Even their phones are not entertaining them anymore. Owen and Gia are still occupying the lounge, the door now closed. Archie yawns and stretches out his arms and legs, whilst sitting on the chair. "Are they gonna be long? I'm sooo tired."

Bay shrugs "I don't know. I'm not going in there to ask."

"I seriously need to sleep now." Archie rests his head on the table.

Bay looks at Archie and sighs. "Well, you have two options. One, you go in there and tell Owen to go home, two, you wait here in the kitchen..."

"There's three?" Archie says, making Bay look at Archie with confusion.

"Three?"

"Yes three options, I can sleep in your bed with you." 

Bay laughs, only thinking option three as a bit of a joke, so when Archie carries on, "C'mon, Let's go to bed."  Bay feels an unforseen sense of panic...