Laws of Attraction

So Alex is gone – out doing something with Zack. Jack thinks he said he was modeling for pictures but he kind of also wasn’t paying that much attention because Alex was just standing there in the middle of the bedroom in his boxers, riffling through his closet for something ‘nice’ to wear. Jack doesn’t blame himself for not really listening because Alex is fucking hot, especially when he’s wearing practically nothing. But right now he kind of wishes that maybe he had some sort of self control because again – Alex is gone and Jack is left alone with Livia for the first time since she came home.

He really shouldn’t be so nervous. It’s his daughter. She’s only four months old and she can’t even move on her own. So it shouldn’t be hard at all. But the thing is, he’s never been alone with her. Like, really alone. Because even when he’s just sitting in the living room holding her and watching TV, Alex has always been in the apartment doing something or sleeping or whatever. He’s always been around. But now he’s out doing God knows what with Zack and Jack kind of has to man up and face the situation. It’ll be fine. Alex promised it would be.

She might only be four months old, but she’s fucking intimidating, Jack decides as he buttons up her tiny pink jacket. She’s staring at him with her big blue eyes and her nose scrunched up as if she’s going to start crying any second now. He’s silently begging her not to. Not at least until they get back from their walk.

Thankfully, she holds out on the crying and now Jack is walking down the sidewalk, pushing a baby stroller and he feels like the biggest dork on the planet. Usually Alex is the one doing this – he claims that ‘fresh air is good for babies’ and he takes her out at least once a day. This morning he told Jack that he had to take her for a walk (like she’s some kind of dog) or else Alex will be pissed. So Jack really has no choice because a pissed off Alex is not really fun to deal with.

He manages to survive the short walk around the block and he doesn’t get stared at or spoken to which is even better than he expected. He makes sure that the stroller is put away in the right place so Alex can’t complain and then he puts Livia in her little seat in front of the TV and he puts on the football game. He might as well take advantage of the fact that Alex is not in the house and therefore cannot dictate what they watch.

Livia seems to be enjoying the game, because she’s giggling to herself and sucking on her thumb and she just looks generally pleased with the way her life is going right now. Jack kind of wishes he were a baby. All they do is eat and sleep and cry. But then again, they’re dependent on others and Jack decides that that fucking sucks.

It’s nearly six when Alex finally comes home. And doesn’t look a thing like he did when he first left. He stands in the kitchen, hair soaking wet and one shoe untied and just generally looking like a mess. Jack leans against the doorframe, holding Livia close to his chest as he laughs.

“You look like a drowned rat,” he teases. “What the hell happened?”

Alex pouts. “It’s raining. And Zack made me change clothes a million times. The things I do for him…” He walks over and takes the baby out of Jack’s arms, grinning as he says, “I’m guessing everything went well?”

Jack nods, reaching and resting his hand n the back of Alex’s neck, pulling him forward for a kiss. He smiles into it, rubs his fingers against Alex’s skin and reminds himself to never let him leave home without him again. He misses him too much. “It went fine,” he finally says after he pulls away, “She didn’t cry or anything.”

“So I can leave you alone with her more often, yeah?”

“I’d rather you just take us both everywhere you go.”