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Michael hasn’t been on earth for all that long and is frankly rather bad at… well all of it. In this life people have rather mixed feelings on useless bubbly people, sometimes you get put down but some times everyone loves you! And who could help but love dear old Michael.
His people pleasing personality is what got him into this mess. Actually wrong wording, his personality, which pleased people is what got him into this mess. Better? He had a neighbour named Mindy, Mindy had four kids. Naturally Mindy met this kind old man, who got along great with kids and thought, yes a babysitter at last! And i know what you’re thinking, yes Michael did learn a lot from his time with Eleanor and in particular his time with Jason. He does now know at least how to entertain and distract a little gremlin. Lets face It that Is all kids are.
But i digress! Michael became a very popular babysitter to the point he took it on as a proper job. And guess who his first official (not neighbour or previously known person) customer was? Go on i’ll wait.
It was Miri! Obviously. Welcome to this fic series mostly centred around her.
Once again her papas were working at the weekend and so Rei found her a babysitter. A lovely old man who is no way from hell. No way.
Michael isn’t quite sure what to expect, he’s never watched a kid he didn’t know before. That isn’t to say he’s nervous, as he stands outside their front door adjusting his bow tie and suspenders he feels a little flutter of excitement. It’s yet another very human experience he’s never had before, why not love it?
He reaches up and nocks on the door patiently bouncing on the balls of his feet.
“Yup?” The door opens and a little girl looks up at him curiously. Miri is dressed in a huge hoodie of kazuki’s, the sleeves come maybe a foot off her hands. It swamps her, truly more dress than jumper.
“Hi i’m Mich-”
“Miri! Don’t answer the door to strangers! It could be anyone!” Kazuki rushes over to her giving Michael a suspicious look and pushing the kid behind him. “Who are you?”
“Michael, the babysitter!”
“Rei!” Kazuki hollers turning back into the house. “One moment i need to speak to my… my er… Rei.” He explains to Michael before turning back to the house and hollering for his partner.
“Ah ok. I’ll be here.” Michael carefully closes the door and continues to stand happily on the other side.
Sadly the door isn’t as sound proof as Kazuki and Rei think so he catches their entire conversation.
“I told you to get the pair from last time, Miri loved them and we want some consistency!”
“They weren’t available. So i got him. He’s nice.”
“Urgh fine!”
The doors thrown open again and Kazuki gives him a forced smile. Michael feels a little saddened by the exchange, he wants to be liked. Most do, so fair enough.
“Come on in!” Kazuki announces.
Michael steps inside, puts down his bag and sits on the floor trying to work out the laces on his newish shoes.
“So Miri goes to b-”
“Hold on i need to concentrate.”
“Can… can i help you?” Kazuki asks sceptical. And i mean who wouldn’t be, this man can’t undo his laces can he really look after a kid? Also to them this man is 70 something, why can’t he do laces?
“Nope i got this. I need to practice.” Michael says with a happy shrug.
It takes him all of five minutes to remove them in the end, five minutes where all Kazuki and Rei can really do is stare at him impatiently. In fact Rei gets bored and goes to play with Miri.
“You done now?”
“Yep! So i guess for a four year old she needs to go to bed at maybe 7ish? Eat in a hour or two maybe, pyjamas, teeth, story. Easy pease!” He says continuing the conversation he previously cut off.
“Uh… yeah. You can make whatever you like from the ingredients we have or just get a takeaway.”
“Don’t worry, i’ve got this.” Michael says patting him awkwardly on the shoulder.
“Bye then.” Rei says entering the room again Miri at his heels and going to open the door.
“Wait! Say goodbye to our daughter!” Kazuki orders him kissing little Miri on the forehead and then ruffling her hair. Rei sits on the floor and Miri throws her arms around his neck, he hugs back a little, patting her back softly.
“Alright go time!” Kazuki pulls his friend up and waves goodbye. “See you both tomorrow morning, be good Miri! Bye!” He shouts tugging Rei through the door behind him. Just before it’s shut Rei leans back inside and waves at Miri with a trace of a smile.
“Bye Papas!”
Slam.
“Hi Miri! You wanna make a cake?”
“Cake!” She shouts grabbing his hands and standing on his feet.
“Yep! I brought the ingredients, I’ve been meaning to try backing for a while. Why not with a little help!”
Oh Michael. Oh poor Michael who can’t bake, don’t try this with a kid. Miri is by no definition a neat helpful child. Yes i know she has good intentions!
“Alright,” he says setting her down on her own two feet and striding over to his bag and picking it up. He walks into the kitchen it in his hands, Miri at his heels. “Do you know how to make a cake Miri? I… don’t.”
“Umm, i’ve watched papa Kazuki make them and helped!”
“So you know how to make them!”
“No.”
“Oh.” Michael stands there behind the counter staring at it intently. “Well we can wing it? We don’t know what measurements to use, our way around the kitchen or how to use the oven. What do we know?”
“We know it has these in it?” Miri points at the bag clapping her hands together.
“Ooo yes! Wonderful Miri that we do know. Alright find a bowl. I think we need to mix them together, right?”
“Why don’t you look up the recipe?”
“Yet another good idea!” Michael fishes out his phone nearly throwing it in the sink and switches it on displaying his shit typing skills as he looks it up.
“What does it say!” Miri tugs on his trouser leg too short to see. When he doesn’t respond, committed to his search she clambers up onto the surface hoodie sleeves catching a little on the handles she climbs. She stands rather dangerously on the hob, leaning over to Michael, pressing her forehead against his so she can see the phone in his hands. Unfortunately it is upside down and she also can’t read which pisses her off. “Come onnnnn tell me what it says! Mickey Mickey Mickey! Tell me!” She shouts still right up his face.
Michael feels overwhelmed the poor darling, but he doesn’t want to show It so he just pats her on the head and smiles. “Don’t worry I found one.”
I’m not about to explain to you how they made the cake, to fully tell you how badly they got It wrong i would have to explain how you make a cake normally. And you think i can fucking bale? I’m not getting up a recipe for you guys and learning. Bleh! So instead i’ll leave you to use your imagination, you sure as hell don’t give it enough exercise.
By the end they were both covered in flour and had produced what can only be called batter. Not cake mix, batter.
Kazuki will not be pleased with the flour and batter caked state of his hoodie.
They pour it into a cake tin and place it in the oven. Wait… hold on… i think they did make batter? I think they made a giant bowl of pancake batter instead of cake. I mean i don’t know how he got there but i checked the recipe and he definitely made pancakes. This might not end so badly. I mean assuming they did it even a little correct. The proportions at least are wack.
They take it out satisfied it’s done and cut it into thick slices, Miri fetches some fruit (blueberries, strawberries and bananas) only slightly dropping them on the floor. They cut them up and add them to the plates, movements becoming jerkyer and faster from excitement. Michael has felt this buzz a lot since coming to Earth but somehow now having Miri to share this new moment with makes it maybe better than any others.
“Make some tea! We can have a little tea party!” Miri shouts shaking his arm enthusiastically.
“I’ve never had a tea party before!”
“Your life is very boring. I’ll get my teddies they can join us. It isn’t a real tea party with just two.” And so the troops were assembled, the table was set and the food prepared, slightly incorrect or not it was there and they were proud of it.
“This doesn’t taste like normal cake.”
“Doesn’t it?” Michael asks visibly deflated.
“No, but it does taste nice. So don’t worry. My teddies like it too.”
Michael visibly perks up. “Wonderful!”
Miri giggles and he joins in throwing a blueberry at her. She throws one back laughing harder. It’s a cute moment and Michael makes a mental note to mention it in his diary later. He won’t be on Earth for all that many years so he wants to make the most of them and record all the best memories.
Later on they watch the minion movie together with pot noddles and he learns where his ugly yellow toddler he once won with Eleanor came from. It makes him very happy. He makes another mental note, this time to buy another ugly yellow toddler.
A perfect evening he thinks. 104% perfect. Maybe… If Eleanor, Chidi and the rest of the gang were here it truly would be heaven. Or rather it would truly be the good place.