Forever and Ever // Lams

Babysitting

LAURENS' POV

My friends had managed to push my parents into the hallway in front of all the apartments and locked them out. I don't know what happened to them after that, but honestly I didn't care. I was never going to speak to them again.

I don't know what I did to deserve such an amazing boyfriend. Every day I liked him more and more and I began to think I could describe my feelings for him with "the L word."

It was Christmas Eve and everyone was over at our house again. Alex and I had found out what happened when the room had gone silent while my parents are here. Maria and Angelica had kissed. Now they both went to the feminist club together, they had gone on 3 road trips together, and their relationship was so cute it was almost cuter than mine and Alex's. Almost.

We all were happily munching on gingerbread and sugar cookies when Eliza got a call.

"Hello?" she paused for a moment. "Oh.. um... I'm a bit busy right now, is there really no one else who could do it?" She paused again to listen. "Oh, ok then. Give me one moment." She put her phone on mute.

"Guys, there's this kid named Phillip I babysit every once in a while and his mom wants to know if we can babysit today. She said she'd pay double since it's Christmas Eve. Pleeeease?"

We all looked at each other hesitantly, then at Hercules.

"Why should it be my decision?" Herc sounded affronted.

"It's your house, Hunkules." Laff booped Herc's nose as he said it and Herc glared at him jokingly.

"Fine, as long as none of you have any objections."

"I do---" Thomas began, but Angelica whacked him on the arm and Eliza unmuted the call.

"Sure, we'd love to. Drop him off at..." She told the woman our address and then hung up.

"Well now we can't get drunk." Said Peggy, disappointed. We all laughed.

ALEXANDER'S POV

Soon, Phillip got here. He was a nine year old and very annoying. But we all had fun with him for a while, until he began trying to rap.

"My name is Phillip... I am a poet... I wrote this poem just to show it... and I... just turned nine! You can write rhymes but... you can't write mine!"

We all stared at him and he just shrugged and began eating another gingerbread cookie.

While Phillip was there, John and I kissed in front of him, not even thinking about it.

"Woah... you can do that?" Phillip looked amazed.

"Do what?" John looked at him, his expression a little bit worried.

"You can kiss a boy... even if you're a boy?" Phillip looked very excited.

"Of course! I mean, if you guys like each other a lot you can. See, John and I are dating, so it's ok for us to kiss each other. But you can't just kiss any random boy you want. It's called being gay, or just being part of the LGBTQ+ community in general. Someday, you'll figure out if you like only girls, which would be called being straight, or if you like boys. Or if you like both! Or if you like everyone regardless of gender!" I smiled at him while everyone stared at me, some with smiles on their faces, surprised I had just gone on a little rant to a nine year old about being gay.

"Hey he has to learn some time..." I shrugged.

"I wanna have a boyfriend when I grow up! I wanna be just like you!" Phillip exclaimed, and began doing cartwheels all around the room.

"You can have a boyfriend, but you probably don't want to end up like Alexander." Said Jefferson, only half joking.

I glared at him.

"Actually, I think I am attracted to a boy in my class, his name is..." Phillip did a drumroll. "George Eaker!" Phillip exclaimed "Don't tell anyone though!"

Everyone stared at him in shock.

"Never mind! My foot is actually attracted to his butt!" He began cracking up.

"Hell yeah! Beat up that sorry b*tch!" Mulligan punched his fist in the air.

"MULLIGAN!" Eliza ran over to Phillip and tried to cover his ears.

John wrapped his arm around my waist as we all laughed. I was surprised, he had never done that before. But I liked it. I leaned my head against his arm, I wasn't tall enough to reach his shoulder. I loved this feeling, of being with him. I never wanted to leave his side. I... loved him.

JOHN'S POV

CHRISTMAS DAY

I rolled over and woke up to Alex snuggled up against my chest. We had been sleeping in the same bed ever since I moved in. It didn't bother us, we enjoyed snuggling nightly. Well, we actually had been pretty busy most nights. (Doing homework, get your mind out of the gutter. Well, sometimes it was homework...)

I smiled at my sweet little cinnamon roll. I felt content for a moment then suddenly I heard Laff sobbing. I sat up quickly and accidentally knocked Alex off the bed. He landed with a thud then sat up and glared at me.

"What was that for?" He rubbed the back of his head in pain.

I motioned toward the door, where we could now hear Laff and Herc arguing heatedly.

"I'm so sorry Hercules! I should've told you!" Laff began sobbing even louder.

"I swear, it changes nothing between us!" Hercules said softly.

"YES IT DOES!" Shrieked Lafayette shrilly. "IT CHANGES EVERYTHING HERCULES! NOW YOU NOW WHY AFTER A YEAR WE STILL HAVEN'T... YOU KNOW!"

I raised my eyebrows and turned to Alex, his expression matched mine perfectly.

"What is he talking about... is he ace?" Mumbled Alex sleepily.

"Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette, I will love you no matter what! I don't care about your past, all I care about is you now! And our future together!" Said Mulligan, raising his voice slightly.

"HERCULES, I'VE BEEN LYING TO YOU EVER SINCE WE STARTED TALKING ONLINE! YOU SHOULD HATE ME!" Lafayette yelled.

"Well I can't, ok? I don't care what King George had to say about you! I love you so much! You know that! I love you so much and I don't care anything about the fact that you were born another gender! Because you are a boy, and even if you weren't, I'd still love you! I'm pan, you know! I wouldn't care if you were bright blue with green hair, I love you so much and nothing anyone tells me will ever change that!"

"No! You can't love me! Just stop!" I had never heard Laff like this.

Alex and I got up and quietly opened our bedroom door. Let me just pause for a moment and tell you, when I thought "our bedroom" a shiver of happiness went up my spine, then I went back to focusing on the situation at hand.

We saw only Laff's back as he ran out the front door yelling, "Don't follow me!" and sobbing.