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"Peggy. Pegs. Pegguers, Peggu. Sweetheat. My amigo. Friendo. What the actual fuck."
Hercules Mulligan was accustomed to weird stuff being friends with Alexander Hamilton, but this was a completely new definition of weird. Three playful teenagers was normal. Three playful toddlers was not. Somehow, someway, Hamilton, Lafayette, and Laurens were replaced by two small children perched on Peggy's lap and one struggling to climb the sofa and onto Herc's lap.
"I don't know," Peggy cried timidly. "I just went to ask them a question 'bout the homework and they're just like this." One of the toddlers in her lap let out a giggle, swatting at her long caramel locks. His skin was tanned ever so lightly with syrup curls pulled into a floofy and mess ponytail. Freckles camouflaged his face, the only unmasked feature being his forest green eyes and colossal grin. Obliviously John. Alex sat criss crossed next to him with his tanned skin and mocha eyes and hair in a smaller pony-tail. His eyes were slightly narrowed, watching John protectively and crossing his arms around his chest.
"Rawr!" Herc turned again, seeing another child with hickory skin, pecan eyes and a tangle of black hair in a little bun. His eyes were alight with excitement. He stretched out his arms, reaching towards his friend who chuckled lightly and picked him up. Laf of course. The kid cackled, collapsing with a flop on his belly.
"So no explanation?" He murmured, automatically attempting to untangle a few of the curls to no avail.
"Sorry," Peggy apologized, petting John's hair. "I just don't know what to do, I was hoping you could help."
"Me?"
"Yeah," Peggy's voice grew quieter. "I just thought you know, cause you took care of a lot of little kids before."
Herc nodded. Makes sense. While most teens were hanging out around he backs of Mcdonalds, he was always watching over his younger siblings. His mother was constantly sick, leaving him to balance school work, taking care of his brothers and sisters as well as taking odd jobs around the neighborhood for extra cash. Surely taking care of a few toddlers for a while wouldn't be that much of a problem? "I can do it."
"Thank you!" Peggy praised, gently moving John and Alex from her lap and onto the sofa. "I wish I could simply skip class, but we're study for our tests and I can't miss that." She hurried over to the door, slinging her backpack over her shoulder. A quick "bye!" and she was gone.
"Alright kiddos," Herc began, hearing the door close. "What's up?" Alex scowled while Laurens let out another row of giggles and slid of the couch. Laf pawed at his chest playfully. "Angsty much Alex?" he chuckled, picking John up carefully. Immediately, Hamilton hurried to him. Soon all three of them sat around Herc. "Ha," he breathed with a yawn. "Ya'll just want to sleep? John let out an agitated cry.
Shit.
A few tears prickled at the corner of his emerald eyes. Alex shot up, wrapping his arms around him. "Alright, Alright, no naps." Herc stuck out his arms to him, only for Hamilton to slap them away. "Umm, okay." He noticed Laurens clutching his tiny stomach. "You're hungry right? Mkay let's go grab something." Laf crawled over to the two and mouthed something to Alex. The boy unwrapped his arms slowly, letting Herc pick teary-eyed John up and carry him to the kitchen. The other toddlers waddled after him. Hercules gently put him down on the table and hurried to the fridge. "Apple juice, perfect." He dug through the fridge a bit more, pulling out some yogurt. And by some, he meant a lot. "Jesus, how much yogurt does one need, Alex?" he muttered, dropping his 'loot' on the table. John finally stopped crying to stare the the food while Herc picked up the other two. "Alrighty, in we go." The teen pulled out a small spoon, feeding him a few spoonfuls. He found himself chuckling at this. "Damn, just think of all the daddy jokes Alex would have made."
After he fed the others, he brought them back to the couch, throwing on a random movie already in the tv. All of them collapsed on the sofa as "Circle of Life" blared in the background. John curled into a little ball and Alex wrapped his arms protectively around him. Laf however, was sprawled out on the couch with his bun even messier than before.
In a few moments, they we're all asleep.