Day Out;;Ian

[Riley Pearson]

I was walking down the highstreet of Diagon Alley, with Charlotte on one hand and Ariella on the other. I had promised them that I would hang out with them today, since it was my day off. I just hoped that I wouldn't get called in unexpectedly. I was surprised by how big they were already. I felt like they were just two not long ago. Funny how fast time goes once something like this happens.

The three of us walked to Florean Fortescues and opened the door, making sure the two of them walked in first in front of me. I could tell they didn't want to hold my hand but I didn't like having them both just walking by me. Especially when we were out like this.

"Okay, knock yourself out." I said with a small chuckle letting the girls go up to the counter and order. I offered to order for them but they said no, so I stood by them and smiled as I watched them.

[ sorry it's sucky.. lol ]

[Ian Hunt]

"You promised...today...we would...do something...fun..." Daniel is walking with his back to oncoming pedestrians, so he can face me and look up at me so I really can't ignore him, much as I'd like to.
"Will you stop speaking like that? You sound like you're mentally handicapped," I mutter, raising an eyebrow and speeding up just a little bit so he stumbles slightly as he tries to walk backwards faster.
I don't feel guilty about speaking to him like this. It's allowed. He's younger than my son and my eldest daughter, younger than my nephew as well, one of the youngest children I know seeing as he's only just turned nine. Although, he is still my brother, or step-brother at least, so it's perfectly allowed for me to address him as such.

You'd think, that after nine years of having a brother twenty years younger than myself, I might be used to his existence, but no, still not over it.
Still not over being weirded out that my Dad would choose to remarry, and choose to remarry one of my friends and procreate all over again. Meredith is much older than I am, admittedly, about twelve years older than I am, but he's twelve years older than she is, and it's very weird.
And for God's sake, I'm pushing thirty, I shouldn't have a nine year old brother.

He opens his mouth to speak again, so I speed up a little more to shut him up and he stumbles before toppling over backwards and directly into some man who's trying to walk past.
I consider apologising to him, but then decide against it when I see the look he's giving my brother and instead mutter, "Watch where you're going fuckhead," and stare at him until he walks away, before I help Daniel up.
"I'm telling Dad you did that," He is, of course, as determined as ever not to owe me any favours and he smirks at me once he's on his feet.
So, naturally, I shove him against the wall, "Will you accept a bribe?"
He glances around, before he grins and looks up at the shop we've conveniently come to a stop outside, "Only in the form of ice cream."

I hesitate a moment, weighing up the possible pro's and con's to this and how much time I can spend in proximity of such an annoying relative before wanting to bang my head against a wall, and whether or not I should continue to humour him and let him believe that telling Dad is something that bothers me so he won't come up with something that does bother me to threaten me with next time.
Finally, I nod, giving him a little shove in the direction of the door and simultaneously placing the loose change that I have in my pocket into the palm of his hand, "Alright then. Let's make it quick though, huh?"
"Like you have anywhere to be," He grins over his shoulder at me, skidding towards the counter and straight into the back of one of two little girls who are already standing there.
I cover my eyes with my hand and consider whether I'll get away with pretending not to know who he is or not.

[Riley Pearson]

I heard the door open and looked over to see Ian walking inside with a boy, who looked around the same age as Charlotte and Ariella. The boy skidded toward the counter, bumping right into Ariella's back. I bit my lip for a moment, they seemed to be okay, to I kept my distance for a moment.

Ella got pushed forward slightly and turned around, "Oy, watch it." She said as she turned toward the boy, her brown hair flipping a little as she went. She looked at the boy and a small smile came over her lips.

I look over to Ian and walk over to him. "Hey Ian.. who's the kid?" I asked with a small chuckle, seeing the smile on Ella's face.

[Ian Hunt]

"My sincerest apologies," Daniel swept into a low bow, looking back up at her with a grin.

I have to resist the temptation to roll my eyes at that, and I wish he would stop reading so many stories and wouldn't have to behave like that in public.
I glance over at Riley with a small grin, "Hey Riley. Ah, that's my brother, Daniel. It's best to ignore him. Those your girls?"

[Riley Pearson]

Ariella giggled lightly, grinning back to him, Charlotte who was next to her, rolling her eyes lightly and turning to order a vanilla cone with a ton of toppings. "My name's Ariella.. but you can call me Ella." She said to him, causing me to raise my eyebrows lightly.

"Ah, okay.. Quite the.. charmer he is there." I said with a small chuckle as I watched them. "Yeah, those're them, Ariella's the one who Daniel seems to be making a move on.. and the other one's Charlotte." I smiled.

[Ian Hunt]

"I'm Daniel," He grinned, "Ella's a pretty name."

I wince slightly at this, raising an eyebrow and laughing slightly, "Hmm, very suave."
I smile slightly, "Sweet, Riley. And I am sorry about Daniel. He's a-...um...well, he's just a prat really."

[Riley Pearson]

Ella grinned back, "Thank you." I said with another small giggle, before Charlotte poked her telling her to order. She turned around and order a strawberry cone with sprinkles, looking over to Daniel every so often.

"Yes.. very." I said with a small nod, laughing faintly. "Ah.. that's okay. You can't help it.. Just like I can't help that she's actually falling for it." I chuckled a little. I was okay with it for now.. but I couldn't imagine having to deal with boys and her in a few years.

[Ian Hunt]

Daniel grinned at Ella, stealing not so subtle glances in her direction. He hasn't quite grasped subtlety yet, to be fair to him.

I laugh slightly, "It just gets worse from here on out."
Poppy's thirteen now after all, and she likes to tell me that she's going out to be meet older boys who are full of sperm because she's generally an evil little girl.
"How have you been?" I ask after a moment, realising that it's a common pleasantry I've just sort of skipped over.

[Riley Pearson]

Charlottle rolled her eyes lightly again at the two of them, thanking the man for her ice cream while Ella continued giggling as they kept looking at eachother.

I laughed a little and nodded. "That's what I was just thinking... I'm not looking forward to that." I said with a small smile.

"Oh, I've been pretty good." I smiled looking over to him, "How about you?"

[Ian Hunt]

Daniel grins, glancing over at us as if to verify that someone else has seen what he reckons is a great success, and then looks back at Ella and grins coyly again.
I'm just amazed he's managed to shut up for so long.

"No, it's pretty awful," I agree with a laugh, "I've been pretty good too. Busy, it seems."

[Riley Pearson]

I watched Daniel look over to us and raised my eyebrows slightly again. Ella got her ice cream and talked to Charlotte a little bit. Char scrunched her nose slightly looking over at Daniel. Ella just shrugged and skipped over to him.

"I guess I'll have to take your word for it.. can't wait." I said with a small chuckle, ruffing some of the hair on the back of my head. "And that's good.. haven't seen you for a while. Ah, hope it's at least a good busy?"

[Ian Hunt]

Daniel got his own ice cream, and then looked back at Ella again.
This is getting quite painful and I wish for all concerned that he'd just say something at least.
"I'm nine and two sixths," He told her with a firm nod, as if his arithmetic was impressive, "How old are you?"

"It's a pretty good busy," I shrug slightly, "Most of the time. No, haven't seen you in a while either. Kept busy at work still?"

[Riley Pearson]

Charlotte sighed lightly and followed her sister over to Daniel, standing next to her. Ella waited for him to say something and then nodded when he did. "Oooh.." She said, giving a somewhat impressed look at him. "I'm nine and ten months." She answered him with a small nod after he asked her.

"That's good.." I said with a small nod over to him, keeping a close eye on the two love birds. "Yeah, pretty busy.. got stuck training a couple new healers... it's been interesting." I chuckeld a little.

[Ian Hunt]

"That's a good age too," He beamed, then shot a rather cynical and not quite as friendly but still polite smile at Charlotte, "Is this your sister?"

"Interesting as in frustrating?" I laugh slightly, "Must take a lot of patience."

[Riley Pearson]

Ella smiled and nodded, beaming back to him. Before she could answer his next question, Charlotte spoke up. "Who do I look like? The Easter Bunny?" Charlottle asked with a raised eyebrow. There really wasn't much question to it since they were identical twins.

"Exactly." I said with a nod and small laugh back. "It does.. I'd think these people had some sense... so it's nice to have a day off."

[Ian Hunt]

"I was being polite," Daniel crosses his arms across his chest, "Assumptions will be the death of us."
I glance over at him as he says this, really wanting to cringe on his behalf now. Dad says that, I suppose he must have picked it up.

I grin wryly and shake my head, "A day off is always nice."
Not that I would really know. I don't work, still, never really have. There's not really much I can do, so I just end up being a permanent baby-sitter.

[Riley Pearson]

"Oh I know." Ella said nodding to him, causing Charlotte to sigh and walk away from them toward me.
"We're twins, isn't obvious that she's my sister?" She asked me, or at least I think it was to me. "Boys are weird." I told her with a small nod as she stood by me instead. "You're tellin me." She nodded.

"Day off definately is nice.. and it gives Riyann a day off too." I said with a small chuckle.

[Ian Hunt]

"I like you much better than your sister," Daniel smiles at Ella.
I feel like I should probably apologise for his existence all together, but decide against it and just keep my mouth shut.

"Lucky her," I laugh slightly, "I don't think I've ever had a day off. Even if Maddie takes ours, I'll get stuck with him," I incline my head slightly over at Daniel, "Or my nephew. Or someone's kids at least."

[Riley Pearson]

Ella giggled lightly, "Thanks.. but she's okay sometimes." She said smiling back at him. I heard Charlottle scoff slightly next to me, wondering if I should stop them or not.

"Ah.. That's no good." I said with a small chuckle. "She should let you alone for at least a day.." I said looking over to him.

[Ian Hunt]

"I'd hope so," Daniel nods.
As Charlotte scoffs, I sort of shrug helplessly in her direction, "Just ignore him. He's an idiot."

I laugh slightly at that though, "Mhm, but at least I'm doing something useful, I suppose. It could be worse."

[Riley Pearson]

"Mhm." Ella said, in a way that it was sort of dragged out, with a small nod as she licked her ice cream cone again.

"I'm glad you agree with me." Charlotte says to Ian, nodding lightly to him. I smiled and chuckled a little at what she said.

"Worse than babysitting twenty-four seven?" I asked with a small laugh.

[Ian Hunt]

"Everyone usually thinks that," I say to Charlotte with a light shrug, "I guess he's just happy he's found someone who'll talk to him."

Then I grin slightly at Riley, "Ah, well when you put it like that..."

[Riley Pearson]

She nodded slightly, "I could see why." She said simply back and then nodded a little about having him found someone to talk to.

"Yeah.. sounds like you're probably really tired." I said looking over to him with a small grin back. "You guys should get someone else to look after for a day."

[Ian Hunt]

I grin slightly at Charlotte, but decide to leave it there because I don't really feel like conducting a conversation with a nine year old. I do that too often anyway.

"Good advice, might go through with that," I laugh slightly.

[Riley Pearson]

Charlotte grinned widely back at him and then started to twirl in circles. She was more like her mum than I thought. I chuckled slightly to myself, smiling.

"You should.. though I can't say I usually take my own advice.." I said shaking my head a little. "Then again, I'm usually not the one stuck with them." I chuckled.

[Ian Hunt]

I laugh slightly, "Poor Riyann's stuck with them all the time then?"

[Riley Pearson]

"Yeah, I feel horrible about it." I said with a small smile, shaking my head a little. "Poor girl's probably exhausted..." I nodded slightly.

[Ian Hunt]

"At least she's not missing out on them growing up or anything though," I smile lightly.

[Riley Pearson]

I smiled lightly and nodded a little. "Yeah.. that person would be me." I chuckled a little, looking at both the girls.

[Ian Hunt]

I laugh slightly, "You've got your day's off though."