moments with you.

12. Babysitting

Author's notes: School makes me want to simultaneously combust, but that's a different story. Do note that I chose the name Abigail randomly, without noticing it happened to be the same name as Callaghan's daughter. Hence, both characters are not related to each other. Also, I don't have the experience of raising kids yet so the following content mostly results from research. My bad for any inconsistencies. Do read and review! They brighten my day all the time :)

Tadashi and GoGo are more than friends but not quite an official couple - yet. (If you want it chronologically it would probably be after the Chapter 'Rain'.)

~

GoGo Tomago is bad with kids, because she's (somewhat) impatient, does not understand them and only knows that when you stare at one, they either start crying or make pretty good stare-downs.

Which is why when she's given the offer to babysit some child of her stepmother's friend, her first reaction is to decline it curtly. But GoGo happens to be short of money, and Tadashi's birthday is coming in a week or so (Not that she bothered to check. Really). So she ends up accepting after much contemplation.

Now, she needs someone with childcare as his or her expertise, or at the very least, a partner in misery (It's on a Friday night, and even the Nerd Lab has breaks during the weekends. Besides, GoGo speculates that if she has no company to stop her from getting too impatient, she might very well end up with a strangled child in her hands.)

She ends up going with Tadashi Hamada.

It's purely through the process of elimination - Honey Lemon was busy, Fred would probably indulge the kid in comic books and action figurines (Not a bad idea - if the kid wasn't a girl) while Wasabi would probably freak out and sanitize his hands every five minutes. GoGo's lips curl. Somehow it always ends up being Tadashi. Maybe it has something to do with how he was (arguably) the sanest out of all of them (GoGo doesn't count herself in because she may be level-headed, but she's still an adrenaline-junkie for a reason).

He turns up at their meeting spot in his usual cap, a simple white T-shirt, casual jeans and a tan coloured bag (It's a satchel, he insists occasionally. GoGo just rolls her heads and pretends she doesn't find his habit of correcting her words cu- Funny. She meant to say funny. (1)). GoGo gives him a grunt that may have been a hello and stalks off in the direction of the house. She's dressed in a more casual version of her normal clothes as well - a white sleeveless top ("Hey, look, we're in couple colours-" Tadashi begins. GoGo punches his arm) and charcoal grey jeans. She ends up throwing a black jacket on (One that did act as an insulator to the cold, unlike her flashier one prior) even though she hadn't wanted to give the child any chance to barf on her original outfit. Even if said child was already four years old.

Tadashi does not seem the slightest bit worried. He seemed to have an unnaturally perpetual aura of calm cheerfulness, after all - maybe with the exception of anything that concerned his younger brother.

"So, GoGo, why do you need to babysit? Thought you said you couldn't stand kids."

"Been a bit low on cash lately," GoGo replies, without batting an eye.

"Really?" He sounds surprised. "Do you need to buy anything in particular? I could lend you some money if it's urgent.

"I'm fine." She wishes they could reach their destination quicker.

~

After the mother (Mrs. Flynn) has left specific instructions regarding her 'Darling Abigail', (All the while eyeing GoGo somewhat doubtfully. Must be the purple streak in her hair, GoGo theorised, since she had already forwent her original outfit also for the sake of avoiding any judgmental treatment. Mrs. Flynn seemed a bit more relieved when she saw Tadashi, GoGo noted. Must be the - never mind.) GoGo proceeds to stare awkwardly at the little girl that is Abigail.