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"I'm gonna faiiiiilllllll!" Aiden groaned dramatically, draping himself over (Y/N) as they stepped off the school bus, drawing a few curious glances from their peers.

"What are you talking about now?" (Y/N) asked, her tone hovering between amused and exasperated. Beside them, Ben raised an eyebrow, giving the two a puzzled look.

"Math! I just don't get it!" Aiden wailed, flinging his arms into the air for emphasis before letting them drop heavily. He sighed as though the weight of the world rested squarely on his shoulders.

(Y/N) chuckled softly, clearly unfazed by his theatrics. "We could study at my place," She offered casually, adjusting the straps of her backpack. Then, glancing over at Ben, she added, "Did you wanna come too?"

Ben and Aiden exchanged a quick look before Ben shook his head. "Suit yourself." (Y/N) shrugged, and with that, the three parted ways, Aiden following her toward her house.

Once they arrived, (Y/N) pulled out her keys, unlocking the door with a practiced motion. She stepped inside and swung the door closed behind them, twisting the lock back into place. "I'm home!" She called out, her voice echoing slightly in the modest entryway.

Almost instantly, a pair of small feet thundered down the hallway. "(N/N)!" A little boy's voice rang out, followed by the lighter pitter-patter of his sister's steps. Two small figures, one a boy around six years old and the other a four-year-old girl with pigtails, came barreling toward her.

"They're gonna knock you over one day," Aiden teased from behind her.

(Y/N) crouched down with a big smile, scooping up her brother and spinning him around in one fluid motion. "Hi, Elliot! Hi, Lily! Were you good today?"

The little girl pouted and pointed accusingly at her brother. "Elliot pushed me!"

"Did not! Lily pushed me first!" Elliot shot back, crossing his arms.

"Nuh-uh! You started it!" Lily argued, her hands on her hips.

"Hey, hey!" (Y/N) cut in, fixing the two with a stern but loving look. "No pushing, okay? That's enough." She straightened up, brushing her scarred hands on her pants. "I'm going to my room to study with my friend for a little while. You two behave."

Lily's eyes flicked to Aiden, studying him with an expression that mirrored (Y/N)'s when she was skeptical. Aiden noticed and chuckled, nudging (Y/N)'s side lightly. "She looks a lot like you, doesn't she?"

(Y/N) rolled her eyes but smiled. Before she could respond, Elliot tugged at her shirt. "Can you help me with my family tree project later? I was supposed to do it earlier, but Mama didn't have time."

For a moment, a flicker of guilt crossed (Y/N)'s face, but she shook it off quickly. "I'll help you after I'm done studying, okay? How about, in the meantime, you guys go over to Annalise's house and play with her puppy? I bet she'd love the company."

Elliot and Lily's faces lit up at the suggestion. Without hesitation, they hurried off to grab their shoes, chattering excitedly about the puppy as they got ready to leave.

Aiden watched them with an amused smile, shaking his head. "Is this what you're stuck dealing with everyday?"

"This?" (Y/N) asked, gesturing vaguely toward the departing children. She let out a tired sigh. "This is the bare minimum. My mom works late shifts, so it's on me to take care of them and basically everything else. I'm just lucky I don't have any chores today."

Aiden gave her a sympathetic hum, watching as she saw the kids safely out the door. (Y/N) lingered for a moment, waiting until they were halfway down the sidewalk before giving a little wave.