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since u guys liked the last one author-chan make another ok
The front door unlocked with a quiet click.
Red let themself into the house with their usual morning enthusiasm, kicking the door shut behind them. They grinned to themself, already preparing their usual announcement.
“I’m baaaack—!”
“BABA!!”
Tiny footsteps thundered across the floor, and Maroon came barreling around the corner wearing an oversized shirt…
…and absolutely no pants.
Behind them, Mauve was only a few wobbly steps away from their older sibling with their pajamas half-unbuttoned, one sock missing, hair sticking up in every conceivable direction, and a cracker clutched in one fist.
“Baba!” They babbled, eyes shining the moment Red came into view. “Baba-baaahh!”
Before Red could even put their bag away, one child crashed into each leg.
“W-ooah!” They laughed, leaning down to pat both of their heads. “Hey, guys!” They slowly waddled further into the house, struggling with the weight of two children no taller than a coffee table straddling their legs.
Maroon let out a tiny giggle, looking up at Red with excitement. “We missed you!”
Mauve made an indescribable sound on Red’s other leg, clinging to them like a lifeline.
Red stopped once they were at the centre of the room, finally dropping their bag on the floor. “I missed you guys, too.” They said, trying to take another step before looking down.
Their grin fell. “…Mari.”
“Hi!” Maroon chirped happily.
Red blinked. “…Where are your pants?”
Maroon paused to look down at themself as though this was the first time they’d considered that question.
“…I’unno.” They shrugged with complete confidence. “…They gone.”
Red stared for a beat longer before rubbing the side of their face. “Okay..” they accepted that response, not questioning it further.
That was when Red finally took in the house.
It was.. a disaster.
Usually, Purple’s definition of ‘mess’ would be a few toys littered across the floor—or some crayons left out after coloring..
Instead, building blocks covered half the living-room. Crayons and paper were strewn across the table and floor. A blanket had ended up as a mat for the ground. There was an open bottle of apple juice on the table, with an abandoned sippy cup accompanying it, and graham cracker crumbs everywhere to top it off.
Oh, and for some reason, a mysterious trail of tiny socks disappeared down the hallway.
Red’s expression fell at the state of the living-room. Something was wrong. Purple would never let the house stay this untidy, even if they were on their last breath.
“Purps?” Red’s voice rang out, their brows furrowed.
There was no response.
That was even weirder. Purple always answered—even if it was a tired ‘kitchen’, ‘bedroom’, or ‘give me a second’, they would respond.
Red pursed their lips and made a sound. “Mari, where’s your nana?” They asked, reaching to take Mauve onto one hip.
Maroon pointed down the hallway without hesitation. “Nigh-nigh.”
“Nana’s sleeping?”
“Mhm.” Maroon nodded “Nana go eep.” They tugged at Red’s uniform.
Mauve, still perched against Red’s hip, copied them by pointing dramatically in the same direction. “Ee!”
Red looked from one child to the other. “Alright.” They adjusted Mauve up properly on their hip before taking Maroon’s hand with the other. “Come on.”
The three of them made their way down the hallway to where Purple was said to be together.
Once they arrived, Red knocked lightly against the bedroom door. “Purps?”
Nothing.
They slowly pushed the door open.
The room was dark, curtains still drawn despite the morning sun outside.
Purple was buried beneath the blankets, their hair had completely escaped their signature ponytail, and several tissues were scattered across the bedside table alongside an untouched glass of water.
Even from the doorway, Red could hear how congested they were breathing.
“…Oh.” They murmured, grimacing at the scene.
Despite all this, Purple was still awake—or at least somewhat.
They barely cracked an eye open at the sound of the creaking floorboards. “…Redsie?” They itched at their nose and sniffled.
Their partner fully stepped into the room with Maroon tailing right beside them. “You’re still in bed…” Red noted, frowning.
Purple rubbed their eyes and yawned. “…Yep.” They buried the side of their face into the pillows. “I got up earlier to make them breakfast and stuff—“ they paused to clear their throat, “—I had to come back to bed afterwards.”
Red freed their hand from Maroons’ and placed the back of it on Purple’s forehead. They hissed, “sheesh, Purps,” they retracted their hand, “you’re really hot..”
…
“As in—“ Red choked back a chuckle, “as in your temperature—!” They coughed into their palm, redirecting their gaze from Purple glaring at them.
“But seriously,” they bounced Mauve higher on their hip, “I think you have a fever or something. How long have you been like this? Should I call Blue?”
Purple groaned and sunk further into the mattress. “Since yesterday—and, no,” they narrowed their eyes, one corner of their mouth pulling to the side, “please don’t bother Blue. I don’t want them to think we only talk to them when we need medical help.”
Red cocked their head to the side. “Blue wouldn’t think that…” their eyes looked heavenwards as they thought about it, “Blue likes helping us.”
“Yeah, well,” their partner exhaled harshly, “maybe being so dependent on them isn’t something I want.”
Red nodded, understanding. “Okay…” Purple never liked depending on anyone—even when they needed to. Somehow, Red had become the one person they could lean on without a fight. Seeing Purple like this only strengthened their resolve to take care of them.
Purple rubbed their face before finally looking past Red. Their gaze landed on Maroon.
They stared. “…You’re still not wearing pants, Maroon.” The drowsiness vanished from their expression, replaced by immediate parental disbelief.
Maroon looked down at their bare legs before bursting into giggles. “Hehehe!”
Purple’s tone grew frustrated. “I told you to put them back on.”
More giggling.
“I even left them on the couch for you..”
Maroon only laughed harder, slapping their own knees like this was the funniest joke they’d ever heard. “They gone!”
“They’re on the couch.”
“They gone!” The toddler declared proudly, punctuating it with a little hop.
Purple exhaled so deeply it almost became another cough. “I tried,” they mumbled to Red, sounding utterly defeated. “They took them off after breakfast.”
Red looked between the two of them. “…You just let them?”
Purple gave them the flattest stare imaginable. “Red.”
“…Yeah?”
“I’ve been negotiating with a tiny terrorist since six this morning.”
Red shrugged once, shifting Mauve higher on their hip. “Eh…” They glanced down at Maroon with a grin. “I think they get the stubbornness from you—”
Smack!
Mauve planted a tiny hand squarely across Red’s face. “Bbaah!”
“Ow!” Red sent them a fake hurt look, recoiling dramatically. “Mauve!” They rubbed at the spot the baby had smacked.
Purple snorted beneath the blankets. “Serves you right.” The laugh quickly dissolved into a coughing fit, forcing them to cover their mouth.
…
“…Right.” Red glanced back at Purple, really looking at them this time. Their flushed cheeks, the watery eyes, the way they barely had enough energy to sit upright for this conversation.
“…You’re really sick.” They stated, brows pushed together.
Purple let out a tired hum. “That’s generally how fevers work, Redsie.”
“No, I mean…” Red frowned, guilt creeping onto their face. “You’re, like… really sick.”
Purple shrugged weakly. “I noticed.” Their eyes fluttered shut.
“Hmm...” Red looked around the room, then back at the depressing sight of Purple. Their posture straightened.
“Alright, Captain Red is taking over.”
Purple blinked awake. “…What?”
“You have been relieved of duty.” Red “Your task is to stay in bed.” They pointed toward the blankets.
“Um—”
“Nuh-uh.” They gently waved them off before Purple could protest. “I’ve got the kids. I’ll clean up, make breakfast—well, second breakfast at this point—and I’ll bring you medicine, water… whatever you need.”
Purple opened their mouth.
“…And before you say you’re fine,” Red continued, “you’re in bed at,” they glanced toward the curtains, “what… eight in the morning?”
“…Nine-thirty,” Purple corrected hoarsely.
“Same thing…Even worse.” Red bounced Mauve on their hip again.
Purple made another noise, rolling their eyes. “Are you sure you can handle both of them…?”
Their partner scoffed and turned the other way. “Of course I can!” They puffed their chest proudly, smirking. “I’m a captain. I know how to handle problems.”
Mauve patted their face again and they deflated just as quickly. “Well, uh,” they cleared their throat, “I mean I’d have to anyways…” They sent Purple a glance. “If I can’t handle two, how can I handle three…”
Purple hummed with an emotion Red could not name. “Oh really?” They shifted under the covers. “You should've thought about that before you—“
“AHEM!” Red interrupted far louder than necessary, spinning on their heel. “Gosh, Purple.” They shook their head dramatically. “Where are your manners? There are children in here.” They chuckled and began walking out.
Maroon let out a titter and followed Red, skipping after them.
Pfft.
Red closed the bedroom door behind them with one hand, adjusting Mauve a little higher on their hip as the baby rested against their shoulder.
“Alright…” They looked around the living room. “We’ve got a bit of work to do.”
Maroon had already wandered over to a pile of blocks, kicking one absentmindedly across the floor.
“Hey, Roo,” Red crouched down to place Mauve on the floor so they could get started, “could you do me a favor?”
The toddler tilted their head. “What?”
“Can you go put your pants back on?-“ Red was then suddenly interrupted by Maroon protesting with a loud, aggressive grumble.
“NOOO!” Maroon shook their head vigorously before breaking into a sprint and disappearing behind the couch. “No!”
Red shook their head, one corner of their mouth curling downwards. “Maroon..” their brows pressed together.
“No! No, no, no, no, no!” The little bean pouted and ducked out of sight. “No pants!”
Red rubbed a hand over their face and sighed exasperatedly. “Okay…” they swallowed, “not ideal but I can make this work…”
They left Mauve perched blissfully on the floor with absolutely no concern for the unfolding situation. They happily smacked two blocks together before suddenly deciding to throw one.
The block bounced across the rug and clipped a nearby tower, causing it to topple over with a loud clatter.
“Uh-ohh….” Mauve formed an ‘o’ with their lips. “Uh-oh!” They crawled over to the scattered blocks with great interest.
Red crouched beside the couch, offering their hand to Maroon. “How about this?” They jabbed their thumb in the direction of the messy floors that was their living-room. “We clean up a little first…” they suggested, “and then we’ll have a bubble bath.”
Maroon stepped up to their parent, listening intently. “A bubble baff?” Their eyes lit up.
“As many bubbles as you want, bud.” Red ruffled their hair, earning a fit of giggles.
Maroon hopped on their heels, enthusiastic at the idea. “With da duckie?”
“With the duckie.” Red confirmed, watching as Maroon’s grin stretched from ear to ear at that. “You and little Mauvie are gonna help me clean up for nana first, then we’ll all have a bubble bath.” They smiled.
Maroon nodded enthusiastically. “Okay!” They immediately marched over to the nearest pile of toys and, after a moment of careful consideration, picked up exactly one block.
The toddler proudly dropped it into the toy basket before turning around as if they’d completed the entire task. “Am done!!”
Red laughed under their breath. “Not really, bud.” They knelt beside another pile, gathering up crayons and scattered coloring books.
“Can you grab some more blocks for me?” They quipped, not taking their eyes off their task.
“Okay!”
This time Maroon actually got to work, toddling back and forth between the floor and the toy basket. They occasionally got distracted by a toy halfway there, but always remembered what they were doing eventually.
Meanwhile, Mauve had discovered another pile of crayons. “Ooo…” Before Red could stop them, the baby reached out with both hands.
“Ah-ah,” Red gently slid the crayons out of reach and replaced them with a ball instead. “There you go.”
Mauve stared at the item for a long moment, squinting their eyes. At some point, they narrowed their gaze at their parent and threw the ball. “Uwwaaahhh!”
“Glad we agree!” Red gave them a thumbs up in response to the scowl.
They continued tidying, folding a blanket back onto the couch and stacking picture books into a neat pile. Every now and then they’d glance over their shoulder just to make sure neither child had wandered into trouble.
“Captain, can you bring me those papers?”
“Okay!”
Maroon eagerly gathered the scattered drawings—along with one of Purple’s lists of reminders.
Red took the stack, flipped through it, and hummed. “Good job, buddy.” They carefully slipped the list back onto the coffee table. “This one stays out, though.”
“Oh.”
Maroon accepted the correction without complaint and hurried off to collect more papers.
Then, a loud thump made Red spin around.
Mauve had crawled under the coffee table and was now enthusiastically reaching for the television remote.
“Woah!” They swooped the remote away just before tiny fingers could grab it. “How’d you move that fast?”
Mauve frowned at this injustice. “Wahh..”
“I know.” Red chuckled, lifting them onto one hip for a moment. “Everything looks interesting when you’re little, huh?”
Mauve rested their head against Red’s shoulder with a defeated little hum before spotting their older sibling carrying another armful of toys.
“Mmph!” Instantly, they wriggled to be put back down.
Red set them on the rug again, watching as they immediately crawled after their older sibling instead.
“I guess that’s safer than the remote..” They muttered with a shrug, returning to the rest of the mess.
Mauve pulled themselves up with the table until they were wobbling on their two feet. “Aaahh,” they toddled towards Maroon, making grabby gestures at the toys.
Maroon came to a stop in their movements, looking down at Mauve. “No, Mauvie,” they instinctively pulled everything closer to their chest. “Mine!” They frowned, taking a careful step back.
Mauve made a displeased noise, their tiny face scrunching up. “Mmmine!” They whined, latching onto Maroon’s shirt and tugging with surprising determination. “Mines! Gimmeeeee!”
Their sibling grumbled. “No!” Maroon squealed, twisting away. They looked to Red for help. “Babaaaa!!!”
Red let out a quiet sigh and quickly placed down the last of the stacked papers before turning their attention towards the children.
“Alright, alright.” They crossed the room and crouched beside the two. “I think we’ve cleaned enough for one morning.”
Mauve was still determinedly reaching for the toys.
Red gently pried their little hands free from Maroon’s shirt before scooping the baby onto their hip. “Okay,” they smiled, bouncing Mauve once despite the grumbling. “Bath time.”
Mauve was not happy.
However, Maroon instantly dropped what they were holding and cheered. “YAAAY!”
“Roo! Put those away!”
The toddler scrambled to pick up what they had dropped. “Okay, okay!” They hurried over to the toy basket, shoving the handful of blocks inside as fast as they could. “Putting dem away!”
“Thanks, bud!”
The bathroom was significantly louder than the living room had been.
Maroon had declared themself “captain of da rubber duckies!”, sending them sailing across the bath with dramatic sound effects every few seconds.
Meanwhile, Mauve was far more interested in the water itself.
They sat happily in the tub, repeatedly slapping both hands against the surface with delighted squeals, soaking both themself and anyone unfortunate enough to be standing nearby.
“Easy!” Red laughed, kneeling beside the bathtub with a washcloth in one hand. “We’re washing ourselves—not the whole darn bathroom.”
Mauve looked them dead in the eyes and slapped the water even harder, causing a wave to splash over the side of the tub.
“…Okay.” Red wiped the water from their face. “I didn’t deserve that.”
Maroon dissolved into giggles before eagerly joining in with a few enthusiastic splashes of their own.
“Captain Roo!” Red pointed a soapy finger at them. “No encouraging your sibling.”
“But it funny!”
“It is funny.” Red admitted with a smirk. “It’s just also making a puddle.”
They reached over to rinse the shampoo from Maroon’s hair before turning their attention to Mauve, who had somehow managed to cover themself in bubbles from head to toe.
“…How?”
Mauve blinked innocently before sneezing.
Red snorted. “Bless you, buddy.”
By the time both sprouts had been scrubbed clean—and after far more negotiations over “five more minutes”—the bathwater had gone cold, the bathroom floor was damp, and Red’s sleeves were soaked to the elbows.
Once they were done, Red got them completely dried off and ready to get dressed. Doing just that, however, proved to be an entirely different challenge.
Maroon spent several minutes carefully selecting an outfit, while Mauve firmly protested the very concept of clothing, happily toddling around in nothing but a diaper with a towel hanging around their shoulders.
Making brunch, thankfully, was far less chaotic.
Well… mostly.
Red settled Mauve into their highchair with a their pacifier to keep them occupied while they worked. Maroon insisted on helping, dragging a chair over to the counter and climbing it to see.
“I wanna help!”
“I know you do.” Red nodded slowly, setting a banana in front of them. “Can you break this into little pieces for Mauvie?”
Maroon saluted with all the seriousness of someone entrusted with an incredibly important mission. “Okay!”
While Red busied themself putting together a few simple sandwiches and a ramen for Purple, Maroon slid off the chair and took their assignment a little creatively.
They peeled the banana, snapped off a piece then popped it into their own mouth.
“Mm.”
Then, they went over to hold the rest out toward Mauve. “Your turn.”
Mauve eagerly leaned forward and took an enthusiastic bite.
“Yay!” Maroon praised, hopping on their heels happily.
They repeated the routine—one bite for themself, one bite for their sibling, then another for themself—until the single banana became a shared snack between the two of them.
Red paused with the butter knife halfway through spreading mayonnaise, taking a look at what they were doing.
Maroon looked up innocently, the banana still held out for Mauve. “Am sharing!”
“I see,” Red hummed contendedly, nodding along as they returned to the sandwiches, “good sharing, buddy.”
Mauve babbled and took another giant bite, nearly stealing the rest of the banana in the process.
“Hey!” Maroon laughed, gently tugging it back. “My turn!”
Red couldn’t help smiling to themself. They’re so cute, their heart felt so full it almost hurt. I hope they stay like this forever.
Another minute passed before the sandwiches were finished. Red looked them over before reaching for their own. They hesitated, then cut it in half.
Purple probably wouldn’t have much of an appetite with a fever…
…but if they do, Red wanted to make sure there was something besides just ramen waiting for them.
“Alright goobers,” Red brushed the crumbs from their hands and walked over to Mauve’s highchair, “let’s go hang out with nana.”
Maroon did a little hop and shoved the rest of the banana into their mouth. “Mmmph!” They cheered.
Mauve made their own little rejoice, “eeehh!” They stretched both arms toward Red, already asking to be picked up, and equally excited at the mention of their carrier. “Baba!”
Red scooped them into their arms. “Yeah!” They reached over to pick up the steaming bowl of ramen with their free hand. “Baba’s gonna take you to see nana—see how they’re doing.” They bounced Mauve gently on their hip. “You wanna see nana?”
Mauve clapped their little hands, giggling. “Nana! Nana!” They immediately latched onto Red’s uniform collar.
Their parent let out a short chortle before pressing a quick kiss to their cheek, leading to Mauve bursting into laughter, patting at Red’s face until they pulled away.
“Mari,” Red called, direction their attention to their oldest, “can you carry the sandwiches for me?”
“Okay!” Maroon hurried over, climbing back onto the chair so they could reach the plate. “I can do it!”
Red started to lead them out the kitchen. “I know you can, Captain.” They enunciated. “You’re my little helper.”
Red nudged the bedroom door open with their shoulder.
The room was still dim, though a few rays of morning sunlight now slipped through the gap in the curtains.
“Nana!” Maroon announced the moment they stepped inside.
Purple stirred almost immediately.
They hadn’t really been asleep—more caught in that miserable state between sleeping and waking where every cough, every ache, every shift beneath the blankets dragged them back to consciousness.
“…Mmh…” Their eyes cracked open just enough to make out the three figures standing in the doorway.
Red crossed the room with the same warmth they always seemed to carry. Mauve rode comfortably on their hip, absentmindedly playing with the collar of their shirt, while Maroon hurried after them, carefully carrying the sandwiches with both hands.
“Hey, Purps,” they greeted, carefully setting the steaming bowl of ramen on the nightstand before settling Mauve onto the bed, “I made you ramen!”
Purple yawned and propped themselves up onto one elbow, rubbing at their eyes. “Really?” They muttered, the sight of the steaming bowl of noodles finally catching their vision. “Thanks.”
“No biggie!” Their partner nodded firmly, moving to help Maroon climb onto the mattress. The child wasted no time to crawl across the blankets until they reached Purple’s side.
“I brought lunch!” Maroon announced proudly, holding the plate out with both hands.
Purple smiled tiredly. “I heard.” They reached over to steady the plate before it could tip. “Thank you, Roo.”
“I helped Baba make it.” Maroon climbed into the space beside them, leaning on them. “I shared da banana with Mauvie!”
“You did?” Purple’s brows lifted.
“Mhm!” They nodded vigorously. “I was helper.”
“You were a very good helper,” Red chimed in, pulling the bedside table a little closer so everything was within Purple’s reach.
Purple glanced between the two of them before looking back down at Maroon.
“…I’m proud of you.” They rubbed Maroon’s shoulder before sitting upright.
Maroon’s entire face lit up.
Meanwhile, Mauve had finally reached the pillows.
“Nana…” they cooed, wobbling across the mattress before more or less collapsing into Purple’s side with a happy little hum.
“Oof…” Purple laughed quietly, wrapping an arm around the baby so they wouldn’t roll away. “Hi to you too.”
Mauve answered by patting Purple’s cheek several times in rapid succession.
Pat.
Pat.
Pat.
Purple winced after one particularly enthusiastic smack.
“Hey..” they gave the baby a look, forming a faux sad expression, “be more gentle.”
The baby paused. “Ough.” They smushed Purple’s cheek, then pet it softer than before.
“There we go.” Purple smiled, kissing the top of Mauve’s head.
Things felt oddly peaceful in contrast to the earlier mess that morning.
The quiet was only broken by the faint bubbling of the fish tank in the corner and the occasional sniffle from Purple as they reached for the bowl of ramen.
Purple lifted the bowl to their mouth, taking a cautious sip of the broth before letting out a content little hum.
Red carefully sat beside Maroon and Purple so they didn’t jostle either of them. “Good?” They leaned over
“Well,” Purple nodded slowly, “surprisingly,” they set the bowl down, “considering it’s made by you.”
Their partner pulled a face.
Purple exhaled wholeheartedly, scooting a little closer to Red. “Thanks, though.” Their lips stayed flat, yet a single corner pulled back in amusement.
Red shrugged as though it were nothing. “Course.” They smirked. “You take care of us all the time. Figured it was my turn.”
Purple watched them for a quiet moment. Then, they reached out and gently cupped Red’s cheek.
“You know what would be really helpful right now?”
Red’s brows rose ever so slightly. “..Yeah?” They drew closer to Purple, a goofy grin already creeping across their face.
Purple steadily raised their other hand and jabbed their thumb toward the fish tank in the corner. “Feeding Heracles for me.”
.
Red blinked. Their smile remained for a solid two seconds before leisurely melting away. “…Oh.”
A beat passed as Purple’s words settled. “Oh.” Their lashes fluttered a couple of times earlier than they cleared their throat. “Right.” They narrowed their gaze at the fish Purple was referring to. “I can—I can.. do that. No biggie.”
Purple gave them a delighted little grin and pat their cheek twice. “Thanks, Red!” They directed their attention back to the ramen.
Red sighed and got a move off the bed.
“Oh—and while you’re at it,” Purple said, mouth full of ramen.
Their partner looked back with a small glimmer of hope in their eyes.
Purple swallowed. “Take a shower.”
…
“Huh?” Red sounded.
Purple gestured vaguely toward their uniform with the fork. “I can’t believe you’ve been carrying my children around in your MIRA-contaminated uniform all morning.”
Rude. Red thought and continued on their way.