[C][AU] Hokey Cokey

It was difficult to look anywhere but Fleck, which showed to be torturous when he stretched up and showed off a piece of tanned skin.

A tap to his leg snapped his attention downwards where a group of children looked up to him in interest, asking for his name in a rather whining voice.

He bent over, just a little so he wasn't so looming, too self-conscious to crouch right down to eye level.

"I'm Dick, I'm helping out today."

"I know that."

A kid pointed a finger at his hat. Right. The hat made it rather obvious.

The little girls face beamed oven brighter, showing off her missing tooth. She nodded.

"Can I bring in another one next time? I can write on it as well since I'm getting really good at it. I went up a level in school, look!"

She showed off a sticker of a big smiley face, that was peeling at the side from where it had been taken off one piece of clothing and stuck on another.

Fleck gave a nod. "Of course. We need loads of stuff to fill the board. More more we have the better!"

He gestured for the girl to join the others and, catching the eye of one girl sat at the back of the gathering.

"All right, wrigglers! I bet none of you are gonna sit still for long, so everyone hop up." He bought his arms up and hopped as all the kids jumped up and to attention.

"On Monday we were Zebra. Wednesday we all because Elephants. Now we're gonna be frogs! Everyone ready to show me their best froggy jumps?"

He demonstrated with a frog jump, forwards, then backwards, then watched the kids all try to copy him.

It was similar to a tiny stamped as the children copied Fleck, giggling. Some of them tried to show off, competing who can jump the highest and the fastest, making ribbit noises. A few shyer ones kept their movements small and tight, looking around to check if they were doing it right. A couple of boys made fart noises as they dropped to the floor. Delightful.

He lingered back, toying with the large book. Like a magnet, his gaze soon returned to Fleck, watching him jump up and down.

"Dick, I think we need a competition," Fleck decided after a frog jump. He straightened and placed his hands on his hips.

"Who's the best froggy jumper here?" he wondered.

Me! Me! Me!

"Dick, help me find the best jumper. And during story time they can wear...." He plucked a hat from a small table next to his chair. It was a much more simple little frog hat than either the one he or Dick were wearing. "This during story time"

The kids went wild over it.

Dick considered maybe choosing a shyer child in hopes that they will feel more confident. Or would they feel self-conscious as he did wearing the hat? Or maybe he should pick a child that put genuine effort in their jumping. But louder children always seem to get more attention...

It wasn't so simple as it seemed. There were too much pressure and too many options.

"Um," he looked around at the eager faces, then up at Fleck too see if he could give any indication on who to pick, then back down at kids.

"I think this one was the best jumper, with the Spider-man top. The froggy noises were very creative."

He hoped he picked right.

Fleck grinned back at Dick, letting the blond choose. Really, it wasn't the end of the world who got chosen.

"Well, you heard it, boys and girls. Maria wins the hat this time."

The little boy was eager to receive the hat.

"Okay then, a few more jumps to get those last wriggles out!"

Dick's cheeks warmed when Fleck smiled at him, and he gave a small smile back. Pleased to know that he hadn't chosen wrong and that it was him on the receiving end of that wonderful smile.

Now that he was smiling it was very difficult to stop.

"It's hard being a frog, my legs hurt," a young girl complained before dropping on the floor.

"Mine too," Fleck agreed, rubbing one large thigh.

They didn't. He could go with frog jumps for hours if he had the mind to.

"All right then, wriggles out, let's start."

Fleck sat down and settled the book in his lap, flicking it open, without naming the book this time. Sometimes the mystery was even better than knowing.

He heaved a deep sigh. "I want to be a cat!"

His eyes sparkling, turned up to Dick.

Dick followed Fleck's lead, opening the book to show it to the children. If was a little awkward getting an angle where he could see as well.

Dick met Fleck's gaze and found that the corners of his lips were still tugged up-

Wait. No. He had to be tired with Fleck, not smile silly at him.

He straightened his expression out and looked out at the sea of children. He cleared his throat.

"You can't be a cat."

"Why not?" he whined.

The two of them went through the book. Cat, Rabbit, Pig, Owl.

Apparently, Fleck couldn't be anything that he wanted.

Then a voice sounded from behind the group of kids. "Why so glum?" They all shot around to see another member of staff wearing a wolf hat on her head.

Holding back a chuckle, Fleck responded. "I don't want to be a frog!"

Dick turned his head around as he watched a staff member he recognised walk over with a wolf hat on her head. He felt the smile force its way to back on his face as he watched the two interact. It was rather entertaining being a spectator now instead of a participant. It seemed all of his speaking parts were up.

The two librarians finished the book back and forth, trying to make the other trip up and giggle.

Both were far too strong to make the other blunder, though, and the rest of the book went off without a hitch.

Fleck snapped the book shut resolutely.

"So who wants to be a frog?"

The message of the book being lost a little, most of the kids raised their hands in the air.

"I do!"

"I bet it's cool being all gross and slimy!"

"Ew, I still don't want to eat bugs."

Dick had already proved that he would happily be a rediculous looking frog if Fleck asked him to.

"So many of you want to be frogs! Who wants to be a cat, or a rabbit, or a pig or an owl?"

He expected the same enthusiastic replies.

He wasn't disappointed.

Ah kids.

One of the girls, not one of the oldest but certainly the tallest, waved her hand enthusiastically.

"I want to be a bunny so I can be cute and small! I don't like being tall."

"Some bunnies are really big," Fleck pointed out. "We have one at home. She's thiiiiiis big."

He stretched his arms out, incredibly wide. It really was one big rabbit. Much larger than most of the dogs he had. She was about the same size as his beast of a Maine Coon.

"How about everyone think about which animal they'd most like to be for the next time we see each other."

That was a new piece of information about Fleck that Dick stored away. The idea of him having a massive rabbit seemed absolutely appropriate.

There was a chorus of agreement from the group of kids, some of them getting rowdy again as chatted amongst each other, thinking about what type of animal they want to be.

Dick wondered what type of animal Fleck would be. Something big, fluffy and friendly from what he had seen from him.

It didn't take long for parents to start rounding up their kids now the main event was over.

And soon there was only one kid sat on the room with the three employees.

"Mama not picking you up?" Fleck asked.

The little girl didn't look up from the phone she was playing on, but shook her head.

"Pop?" Fleck tried again.

Another shake of the head.

Fleck puffed out his bearded cheeks.

Dick stuck around, saying goodbye to some of the kids who came up to him and decided to help out to clear out. Totally because he was a good person and not because he wanted to spend more time with Fleck.

What he envisioned to happen, which involved secret cupboards and a TV rating over PG, wasn't becoming likely when one little girl was left sitting on the floor.

Dick tried to catch Fleck's eye for the silent question of; what should we do?

Fleck gave a low groan.

"I told them they can't do this," he sighed. "I can't look after you while I'm working, Theresa. You know that. They know that."

The girl's dainty shoulder's lifted in a shrug. "Call Chai," she suggested.

Fleck blew out a frustrated breath. "You call her. I'm working."

Theresa gave a little snort and lifted her gaze from the phone screen to send a pointed look around the room. Working? Right.

Dick watched the exchange between the girl - Theresa - and Fleck.

Ah, so they knew each other. Family, was his guess.

Dick pulled on his lip before inching over to them. Apparently trying to catch Fleck's eye wasn't working.

"Do you need a hand at all?"

"Sure."

Fleck ruffled Theresa's neat hair roughly earning a whack from her in return.

"Help me get these posters down?"

As always, he'd stuck big posters up on bookcases, and they all needed to come down.

Dick nodded.

"Sure."

Easy enough.

"So," he started, "how long have you been working here?"

Fleck shrugged one shoulder as he carefully peeled the tape of a corner of a poster.

"I dunno. Six years? Something like that."

He'd been at the library for an age. It was his first job.

"I'm guessing you must like the job then?"

He didn't look like a man who was tired of his job from the way he was interacting with the kids.