Babysitting

“You can't be serious,” Jack said, groaning as the older boy nodded. “Come on Jack. I'm not asking much. I would do this for you.” Alex said, trying to coax him into it.

“But Alex,” Jack whined, pouting slightly “You're already leaving me for a weekend. You are not leaving me with Jasmine!”

“The little girl is a saint, Jack! You know that. She won't fuss or anything. Feed her and keep her entertained. Your entire weekend will be perfect. Plus, you need to spend more time with her.”

And yeah, that was true. Jack and Alex had been dating for quite some time, and Jack was only ever in the same room with the brunette's daughter when it had been absolutely necessary.

“I don't see why you can't bring her with you. After all, isn't it a family reunion? Last time I checked, she was your daughter, therefore making her part of the family.”

“She'd be the only child there, and I don't want her complaining that she's bored every 10 seconds. I just want a weekend to see my family, Jack. And besides, I thought this would be good for you guys, y'know? You barely ever talk to her and vice versa. I just, I don't get.”

The younger sighed, moving to wrap his arms around Alex's waist, “I.. fine. I'll do it.” And the brunette's eyes lit up slightly, “Really?” He asked, confirming the entire thing. “Yes, Alex. You know I'd do anything for you.”

- - -

“Jack... Jack!” Alex shouted at the younger boy, causing him to flinch and look at Alex. “What?” It was the Friday night that the brunette was leaving. It was a two hour drive and he figured he'd rather drive at night than face whatever traffic there would be in the morning. Plus, it'd be easier for Jack if Jasmine woke up and Alex wasn't there, rather than having to deal with the tears after he left.

The little girl knew her father was leaving, and she knew that Jack would be watching her. She didn't have very many complaints about it, being the fact she was only 4.

“Okay Jack, I'm gonna go.” Alex said, pressing his lips to the other boy's. To say Jack was nervous was probably the biggest understatement of the year. He was being left with a four year old child, and he could be held responsible if something happened to her.

“Don't look so nervous. It's not as hard as you think.” The older boy said, noticing the expression on Jack's face. “I just put her to sleep. If she wakes up, read her a story. In the morning, make her what she wants for breakfast and make sure she brushes her teeth afterward.”

“She knows where all her toys are and such, so that's not much of a big deal. You know where the remote is and how to work the TV and blah. For lunch, she usually just has a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Dinner is up to you, she's really not picky.”

“8:30 is her bedtime, and usually she takes a nap after she eats lunch. Unless she eats late. Wake her up about an hour into her nap. If she refuses, tell her you're going to send her into the basement. She'll hop into bed faster than the speed of light.”

Alex hadn't breathed through that entire speech, taking a few seconds to greet air back into his lungs.

The other boy looked speechless, trying to remember half of what Alex had just said to him. The older boy laughed at him, quickly pressing his lips to Jack's yet again. “I wrote it all down for you. Calm down Jay.” And then Jack could breathe again too.

“I'm going to miss you.” Alex said, wrapping his arms around Jack. The younger smiled, nuzzling into Alex's neck. “You know I'm gonna miss you too.”

The older boy sighed, unwrapping his arms from Jack and grabbing his backpack. “Long drive. And my mom's expecting me around 11 so..” Jack simply nodded, smiling at Alex. “Go. You'll be back on Sunday. I'll survive.”

“I'll text you, okay?” Alex said, and it wasn't a question, as much at it sounded like one. “You don't have to watch over me, y'know. It's not like I'll burn your house down.”

“Well if you did, it wouldn't be the first time.” The older boy smirked, and Jack sent him somewhat of a deadly glare.

“That was not my fault!”

- - -

Jack was not exactly happy about being woken up at 8am on a Saturday morning. Unless Alex's hand was wrapped around his dick, he wanted to do nothing but sleep.

And he was about to mumble the words 'fuck off', but then he realized that the hand shaking his shoulder was Jasmine's, and telling a four year old to fuck off was probably not the smartest thing to do.

He turned over, facing the little girl and smiling at her sleepily. “G'morning Jazz,” he said quietly, and the little girl's face stayed formed into what Jack figured was a small pout.

“Good morning Jack.” She said sheepishly, as if she was scared to talk to him. Which she probably was. This was the first time they were alone in a room together, because even when they had talked, she'd always cling to Alex for dear life.

“Uh.. what do you want for breakfast?” Jack asked, throwing the comforter off of himself and sitting up on Alex's bed. Jasmine backed up slightly, and yeah, Jack could tell she was scared.

“Um..” she started quietly, having a small debate with herself, “C-can I have cereal?”

The dark haired boy nodded, and she took that as a confirmation, bolting out of the room. Jack sighed, groaning and laying back on the bed because this was going to be a very long weekend.

- - -

Not very long after Jasmine had finished her cereal, and Jack had managed to make himself a scrambled egg without setting the kitchen on fire, Alex texted the younger boy as promised.

'How's it going so far?'

Jack felt his phone vibrate, and when he read the text he looked over at the young girl who was currently fixated on some shitty children's show. What ever happened to good kid's TV?

'Well it's been about 30 minutes and I'm pretty sure she already hates me.'

'Oh come on Jack. She's 4. It can't be that bad.'

'When she woke me up this morning, she backed up as if I were about to eat her.'

'Well you do look as if you need to put on the weight..'

'Shut up Lex. I'm serious! How am I supposed to get to know her if she's scared of me?'

'It's just a new experience for her baby. She'll warm up to you. I promise. Now I have to go because we're doing some form of family bonding and I'm not supposed to have my phone. I love you.'

Did Jack smile at the last three words of that text? Yes, like a fucking sociopath. And apparently, Jasmine noticed. “Whacha smilin' at?” she asked curiously, causing Jack's head to shoot up and look at her, “Oh, uh, nothing.” He said quickly, sliding his phone back into his pocket.

The little girl simply shrugged, she didn't have a very big attention span. Grabbing the remote and turning the TV off, she jumped up off of the couch. “I'm gonna go play Barbies.” She said, quickly skipping up the stairs.

Jack figured that she was entertained for a while, so he stretched out on the couch, falling asleep quickly.

Not much more than an hour later, he was woken up by more shaking, and he could barely hold in the groan that was so eager to leave his throat. Jack's eyes fluttered open, and Jasmine was staring right back at him. “Yes?” He asked, his irritation clear in his tone.

“I wanna color.” The little girl replied, rocking on her heels.

“So go color. You don't need me for that,” Jack said, closing his eyes again. She shook him again, and this time he did groan.

“I can't reach the crayons. Daddy says it's 'cause he don't trust me. But I'm a trustable person, so I dunno why.”

And Jack couldn't help but laugh at that, because he always wondered how he managed to keep his house so clean with Jasmine around.

The boy rose slowly, following the little girl to where Alex kept the crayons and grabbing them and a coloring book from the shelf.

“So where do you usually color?” He asked, and the little girl pointed to the kitchen. So he walked into the kitchen and set them down on the table, sitting down across from the younger girl.

Jasmine opened up the book, trying to find a page she hadn't scribbled in. And for the first few minutes, it was silent. Apart from her taking crayons out of the box, there was no noise. That was until the little girl decided to speak.

“So why didn't Daddy leave me with Zacky?”

Zack had basically been the one that watched Jasmine 2 or 3 days a week, the days that the little girl didn't have preschool. Jack had wondered the same thing, but concluded that it was probably because he wanted the younger boy to spend time with Jasmine.

“Because, uh, Zack is busy this weekend.” Jack lied, and even though it was a lie, Zack was probably busy. That boy was always doing something.

“Oh,” the little girl said simply, reaching for a pink crayon, “Well, I'd rather be with him.”

Okay yeah, that hurt. He knew that Jasmine wasn't comfortable around him, that much was obvious. But the fact that she basically just said that Jack's presence wasn't wanted, that stung.

And then not only was it silent, but then it was awkward, because what the hell was Jack supposed to respond to that? 'Yeah, well, I don't really want to be here either..'

He felt like texting Alex, but he was probably still 'family bonding' without his cell phone, so Jack just sat there.

- - -

Around 12:30, after Jasmine had ate her lunch, Jack was trying to coax the little girl into taking a nap, but she was having none of it. “Listen, Jazz, you're either going to take your nap, or I'm sending you down to the basement.”

She shook her head quickly, crossing her arms. “You don't scare me!” she screamed at him. Jack groaned, grabbing his phone from his pocket and dialing Alex's number. The little girl stared up at him, arms still crossed and a small glare plastered onto her face.

“Yes?” Alex answered, and Jack groaned again.

“She won't take her nap.”

“Have you tried-”

“Yes, Alex, I've tried everything.” He said, and he wasn't trying to be pissy, but the child was driving him crazy.

He heard Alex sigh through the phone, “Give her the phone.”

Jack did as he was told, and he couldn't hear much of the conversation, just a lot of 'But Daddy!'s and the girl sighing in frustration. Jasmine finally handed the phone back, storming up the stairs, and Jack could hear her door slam.

Jack put the ear up to his phone, mumbling a thank you. “I know it's hard Jack. I do it every day of my life.”

“I really don't know how.”

Alex laughed, and Jack heard someone talking in the background, followed by a long sigh from the older boy.

“I have to go, Jay.”

Jack breathed in heavily. It was only another day, right? He could do it.

“I love you, Alex.”

“I love you too.”

- - -

Jack decided to order pizza for dinner. It was simple, and when he asked Jasmine about it she had no complaints.

After paying the delivery man and cutting a slice in half, Jack set the girl's plate in front of her, and she sat there happily, gnawing at her food.

They didn't talk much, mainly because Jack didn't know what to say to her. She had basically stated earlier that she wanted nothing to do with him, and proved it by disobeying him when he told her it was time to take a nap.

It was around 7:30, and Jack decided that maybe he'd put her to bed at 8, because he really couldn't take another hour of this.

After dinner was said and done, Jasmine situated herself on the couch, watching another one of those shitty kid's shows. Jack simply messed around with his phone, because he had no interest in what she was watching, and he questioned why anyone would in the first place.

When the clock struck 8:15, he heard Jasmine yawn. And he figured that was his opening.

“Uh, Jazz, it's bed time.” Jack said, somewhat awkwardly. She looked over at him, sighing and turning the TV. “Fine,” she said simply, hopping off the couch. “Remember to change and brush your teeth,” he reminded the little girl.

“I know what to do, thanks.” She replied, walking away.

Jack waited about 10 minutes before traipsing up the stairs. Jasmine's bedroom door was open, and she was curled up in her small princess like bed.

He was about to just turn off the light and leave, but Jasmine tapped on the wall, grabbing Jack's attention.

“Hm?” He asked, his hand on the light switch. Because he honestly just wanted some time to himself.

“Can you, um... can you read me a story?” The little girl asked quietly, and Jack sighed heavily, but if it got her to sleep, he was all for it.

“Which story?” Jack asked, walking over to the small bookcase she had in her room and kneeling down in front of it.

“Well, Daddy's been reading me Junie B. Jones. He said that he liked those books 'cause they're silly. I think that he left it on the top of the bookcase.”

It was the first time all day that the girl was being relatively nice to him, and he'd take whatever he could get. Grabbing the book off the top of the bookcase, he chuckled to himself when he noticed that it was open to the page that he'd left off on, because it was just like Alex to do that.

He sat down cross-legged next to Jasmine's bed, because the thing was that tiny, and he could still see her clearly. She had one of her stuffed animals cuddled into her chest, and he couldn't deny that the little girl was fucking precious.

Jasmine was staring at him, and he smiled at her because she was exactly like a female version of Alex. He sighed, examining the page that the book was on and he began reading.

“When you're the very last one in line, nobody watches you. That's how come nobody saw me when I ducked behind the teacher's desk and hid. I'm a good hider. One time at Grandma Miller's house, I hid under the kitchen sink. Then I made a growly sound and sprung out at her.”

“I'm not allowed to do that anymore. Anyways, I stayed scrunched behind the teacher's desk for a while. And then I saw a better place to hide. It was the big supply closet in the back of the room. And so I ran back there very fast. And I squeezed onto the bottom shelf. I squeezed right on top of the construction paper.”

Jack looked up towards the little girl, who was already fast asleep. And he smiled again, because he really couldn't believe that she was that much like Alex.

He got up, setting the book back onto the bookcase and flicking the light switch off. He closed the door, leaning against it and sighing.

- - -

Jack had stayed up way too late last night. He was talking to Alex until at least 4am, and while he felt bad that he kept the older boy up, Alex didn't seem to care.

So when Jasmine shook him awake, using a little more force than she had the day before, he groaned, shooing her away. She shook him again, and he grabbed his phone, staring at the time and realizing that it was around 10am and yeah, he needed to get up.

“What do you want for breakfast?” Jack asked, rubbing his eyes and turning to face the little girl. She simply shrugged, and he rolled his eyes. “You have to want something.”

Jasmine shrugged again, “Can I have pancakes?” And Jack nodded, getting out of bed and following her to the kitchen.

Jack picked up the little girl, placing her on the island in the middle of the kitchen and moving to the refrigerator, looking for what he needed.

“Daddy bought that powdery stuff, like the stuff you mix with water to make them. I think it's in one of the cabinets.

Jack snorted, because again, that was something Alex would do. Always taking the easy way, nothing more. And for some reason, he found that really cute.

After searching through basically every cabinet that kitchen had, and goddammit there were a lot, he finally found what he was looking for. The pancake mix was in a sort of bottle, making it easy to just add the water, shake it, and then pour into the pan.

After making the pancakes and almost burning every one, Jack and Jasmine were seated at the kitchen table, and she was the first to speak.

“You make good pancakes,” she said quietly, grinning at Jack quickly before continuing to eat into her pancake. And that was another one of the stupid little things that made Jack smile. Because maybe she was actually starting to like him.

It was silent for a few more minutes before the little girl decided to speak yet again. “So, um, are you and Daddy like friends?” the little girl asked quietly, her full attention on Jack. Which was quite shocking, because she never gave her full attention to just one thing.

“Uh.. yeah. We're, uh, we're really, really good friends.” Jack answered awkwardly, because he didn't really want to say that they were dating, because that would probably lead into another world of questions.

“Like best friends?” Jasmine asked, earning a nod from the dark haired boy. She pondered that for a moment, taking another bite of her pancake. “Do all best friends kiss?”

Jack practically choked on his food.

He looked at her, as if looking for some kind of explanation to why she had even asked that. And Jasmine seemed to understand. “Well, 'cause before Daddy left, I got out of bed to say goodbye one last time, and when I started going down the stairs, I saw him kiss you.”

And Jack noted something for future reference; when you put a child in bed, make sure they're actually sleeping.

“I, um..” But he stopped himself, because honestly what was he supposed to say? He knew that Jasmine was gonna find out at some point, but not when she couldn't even comprehend why they were kissing in the first place.

“So, y'know, I was just wondering 'cause sometimes I go to the park with Zacky and I made friends with this boy named Andrew who's there lots too. So I was just thinking that next time I see him, I should kiss him 'cause that's what friends do.”

Jack shook his head urgently, because if that happened, Alex would kill someone. That someone would probably be Zack. “No. No no no. Don't kiss him. Little boys have cooties. Do you want cooties?” He asked seriously, and the little girl screamed 'Ew!' before shaking her head.

“Exactly. So don't kiss him. Plus, you're too young to be kissing people.” Jack stated, and the little girl wasn't giving up.

“But you and Daddy kissed!”

And then Jack was stuck, because again, he had absolutely no fucking idea what to say to that. And he already knew that Alex was probably going to strangle the other boy when he came back later.

Jasmine pushed her plate to the middle of the table. “Are you and Daddy like dating or something?”

This time Jack choked on his own spit.

“Er..” he bit his lip, because this little girl was making him a speechless wreck. She squealed, then giggled slightly. “You are!”

And now it just scared him how much she reminded him of Alex. “But I thought only boys and girls dated each other.” She said, brow furrowed. Jack sighed, running his hands through his hair. He was already dead, so why not just tell the girl.

“Well, Jazz... sometimes, it's different. Sometimes girls like other girls and sometimes they like boys. Some boys like other boys but some like girls. It just depends.”

She seemed to take it well, nodding and saying, “So does that mean that you and Daddy like each other?”

Jack chuckled, grinning and nodding. “Well, I don't know about your dad, but I definitely like him. A whole lot.”

- - -

It was just around 3:30 when Jack got a call from Alex. He was relieved, because the older boy was supposed to be home over an hour ago, and he was never one to be late.

“Alex?” Jack asked quickly, sighing when the other boy hummed in response.

“Babe, where are you?”

He heard Alex sigh, and the boy sounded quite stressed. “I'm, uh, at the hospital, actually.”

And then Jack was panicked, because what the actual fuck was he doing at a hospital? He got up from the couch, walking upstairs into Alex's room. Jasmine was too fixated on the TV to notice.

“Why are you at the hospital? Is everything okay?” Jack asked frantically, running a hand through his hair.

“Yes, Jack, I'm fine. My mom slipped in the kitchen this morning. They're doing X-rays and whatnot, but that's not what I called about.”

Jack heard 'x-rays' and that was all he needed to hear. He didn't even need Alex to elaborate the next part.

“I need to stay a little longer. At least until tomorrow. Just to make sure that she's okay. I promise I'll be home tomorrow night.”

And as horrible as this would have sounded yesterday, it wasn't as bad. Being the fact Jasmine was willing to actually talk to him.

“I, uh, okay. That's fine. But, fuck Alex. Doesn't Jazz have school tomorrow?” The younger asked, and Alex groaned, mumbling the word shit repeatedly.

“Fucking hell. She does,” he said, sighing, “Okay, but it's not that hard. I just, fuck.”

Jack shushed the older boy, trying to soothe him because he sounded as if soon he'd need to be in a hospital bed. “Lex, it's fine. I can get her to school. But you gotta tell me what I need to do in order to get her ready.”

Alex groaned again, because fuck, nothing ever worked out right for him. “Okay, okay. Basically, she needs to be there by 9. Call Zack and tell him to give you directions, because I can't be fucked to right now. She doesn't need lunch because you need to pick her up at 12.”

“You can feed her at home. Uh, she knows where her backpack is. Make sure she did her homework. I can't remember. And that's basically it. Oh, uh, just brush her hair for her. I don't care what you do with it, just make sure she looks somewhat presentable.”

Jack nodded to himself, letting all of that soak in. “I got it. Okay. Get directions from Zack. Drop her off at nine. Pick her up at twelve. I can do that. And as for you, Lex. Calm down, okay? Everything's going to be fine, and you'll be home sooner than you know it.”

Alex sighed again, “Thank you so much, Jay. I swear, I'll make it up to you.” That earned a smirk from the other boy. “Of course you will. Now go. I love you.” Jack said, jokingly making kissy noises.

The brunette laughed, and it was nice to know that in all that stress, Alex was still Alex. “I love you too. So much.”

- - -

“Daddy's not coming home today?!” Jasmine asked frantically, and the little girl looked as if she'd be in tears soon. Jack sighed, shaking his head. “Your grandma fell and hurt herself. So your dad is staying until tomorrow to make sure she gets better.”

“But I have school tomorrow!”

Jack nodded knowingly. “I know. Your daddy told me. No worries, though. I'm gonna take you. Is that okay?”

Jasmine paused for a few moments, finally nodding. Jack grinned at her, remembering something Alex had said. “Hey, did you do your homework?”

The little girl groaned, “No, but do I have to?”

Jack chuckled, rolling his eyes. “Yes. You have to. Homework is important. If you don't do it, you could get in a lot of trouble. Teachers get mad at that stuff.”

She gasped, her mouth formed into a small o. “Really?!” Jasmine asked, earning a nod and another chuckle from Jack.

“Yes, now go get it. I'll help you with it, if you'll let me.”

The young girl grinned brightly, nodding. “Of course I'll let you help me, Jacky!”

She sprinted up the stairs, Jack assumed she was getting her backpack. And he couldn't help but smile at the nickname, because Alex was right (but when wasn't he?). She had just needed time to adjust to him, and now that she was adjusted, she was perfectly fine with him.

After running back down the stairs- her Hello Kitty backpack in hand- she sat next to Jack, who was seated in his usual place at the table. And it was weird, because usually she sat across from him.

It was just another one of those things that stupidly made his day a lot better.

She pulled out the worksheet she had for homework, placing it on the table along with a pencil. It was definitely a challenging worksheet. She had to write her full name. Four times.

“Shall we get started?” Jack asked, and the little girl nodded eagerly. She enjoyed writing her name. It made her feel special.

“So, Jazz. You have to write your full name. What would that be?” Jack asked curiously. I mean, he knew that it was Jasmine Gaskarth. But he was always curious as to what her middle name was.

“Jasmine Rose Gaskarth. Future rock star slash millionaire.” The little girl said proudly. Jack grinned at her, because she seemed to have her entire future planned out. “Okay, well. You only have to write Jasmine Gaskarth. But you can include Rose if you want.

The little girl looked at him as if he was stupid, “I always have to include Rose.”

- - -

It was long after 8:30 before Jack was finally carrying Jasmine up to her room.

She had insisted on watching some Strawberry Shortcake movie, and Jack didn't really have the heart to resist. The movie was 2 1/2 hours long, and it had already been close to eight o'clock when she had decided to watch the movie. But he let it slide.

Jasmine fell asleep on his lap about halfway through. And yes, she was laying on top of him. Jasmine had yet again insisted, and Jack yet again didn't have the heart to refuse.

He set the young girl down in her bed, pulling her comforter over her. He began to get up before he heard Jasmine say his name quietly. He mumbled a 'hm?' in response, and Jack heard her shifting her position.

“How long have you known Daddy?” she asked quietly, and Jack sat down beside her bed, trying to think back just how far he'd known Alex.

“I met him in.. eighth grade.” Jack said finally, and Jasmine nodded, thinking of another question. “Have you and Daddy been dating since then?”

Jack chuckled quietly, mumbling a no. “Then how long have you been dating?” she asked, and Jack found another similarity to Alex; she was just as curious as him.

“Hm.. almost a year.” Jack responded, remembering that their one year was coming up in a few weeks. He branded that into his brain, he'd need to do something special for that.

“Well how come you and Daddy didn't date when you met?” She asked, sitting up and crossing her legs. Jack sighed, unsure if this was the best territory to step into. “Because.. because he was with your mom” He whispered, and the look on the little girl's face shattered Jack's heart.

He didn't know where Lisa had went or why she had completely taken off after a year of having the little girl. And to be honest, he was pretty sure Alex didn't know either. But neither of them ever brought it up, and although it might have been kinda sick, Jack was happy Lisa was no longer in the picture.

Jack thought that maybe he'd escaped having to talk about it, but no. The god's were against him.

“Where is my mommy?” Jasmine asked quietly, and Jack simply shook his head, brushing the hair out of her face. “Go to sleep, Jazzy.” He said, standing up and walking towards the door.

“But Jacky-”

The dark haired boy groaned, “Jasmine, it's past your bedtime. Go. To. Sleep.” And before the little girl could speak again, he turned off the light and shut the door.

- - -

The morning ran almost the same as the other two had, minus the fact that they were rushing. Jack was trying his hardest, and he kept telling himself that Alex deserves sexual favors for this stuff, because it was really fucking stressful.

Neither of them mentioned their last conversation that had happened, and Jack was thankful for that, because he really couldn't deal with the young girl getting worked up over it.

After finally managing to get Jasmine out of the house and to school, he fell onto the couch, dialing Alex's number.

The older boy responded almost immediately, chuckling when he heard the way Jack was breathing. “Stressful, yes?”

Jack rolled his eyes, “I don't know how you do it, but you deserve blowjobs for being able to do this almost everyday.” The younger boy could practically hear Alex smirking through the phone.

“I'm definitely going to hold you to that.”

That made Jack laugh, and Alex got just a bit more serious. “So how are you holding up? Is she treating you better yet?”

Jack decided to tell him that yes, everything had gotten a lot better yesterday. He told the older boy about how he read to her, helped her with her homework, watched Strawberry Shortcake with her.

However, he left out a few important details of the experience, but Alex didn't need to know all that, did he?

Jack concluded that no, he certainly did not.

- - -

“We're all out of bread.” Jasmine said, a tone of panic in her voice, “What are we gonna do? I can't have a sandwich with no bread!”

The little girl made Jack laugh, because she was freaking out over such a minor thing. Although, Jack really didn't know what to make her for lunch.

“Do you like chicken nuggets?” Jack asked, earning a yes from Jasmine. And then a 'why?'. “Because I'm pretty sure there's some in the freezer.” Jack responded, going to open the freezer to make sure.

And yes, there were chicken nuggets in there. And Jack was very proud of himself for making them and not setting anything on fire.

- - -

It was around 8 o'clock when the lock on the door was undone, and Alex walked through the front door. Jasmine pounced, screaming and running to hug him. The older boy chuckled, leaning down to pick up his daughter and squeeze her to death. Because it was nice to get the weekend away, but he missed her dearly.

And Jazz wasn't the only person he missed.

Jack got up from the couch slowly, walking towards where Alex and Jasmine were. And he couldn't help but smile at them, because they were the cutest human beings on earth.

As soon as Alex saw Jack, he set Jasmine down, telling her to go get ready for bed. She did so happily, skipping up the stairs and into her room. And when Alex heard her door shut, he grabbed Jack, pressing his lips to the younger boy's roughly. Jack responded by laughing and pulling away. “I know you don't think so, but that little girl sees all.” He said quietly, and the older boy's brow furrowed.

“What are you talking about?”

Jack shook his head, and he seemed quite amused with himself. “Nothing, don't worry about it. I fucking missed you.”

Alex rolled his eyes, wrapping his arms around Jack. The younger boy nuzzled into Alex's neck, as he always did. “I missed you too Jay. So fucking much. My parents even asked about you.”

“What'd they ask about?” Jack asked, his voice muffled through the older boy's neck. “Nothing major. Just how you were.. how your job search was going.. why we haven't gotten married yet.”

Jack's head shot up at the last one, causing Alex to giggle. “I'm just kidding on the last one, babe. Relax.” And the brunette went in to kiss Jack, but his daughter's voice caused him to jump back about 3 feet.

“Daddy!”

He groaned, yelling 'I'll be up in a minute!' and Jack couldn't stifle his laughter. Alex pecked the younger boy's lips to shut him up, and Jack grinned. “So I'm guessing that I should be getting home now.”

“What? Why?” Alex asked, and yeah, he was pretty upset. He'd been gone for 3 days and all he wanted to do was cuddle up with his boyfriend. But Jack was kind of breaking those plans.

“Well, you've been gone for 3 days, and I'm pretty sure Jasmine wants your full attention right now.”

And the older boy groaned again, because as much as he loved his daughter, it was times like this where he just wished everything was different.

Jack moved towards Alex to press his lips to the brunette's forehead, mumbling an 'I love you.'

“I love you too, Jay.” Alex grinned, turning and walking towards the stairs.

- - -

It was the first time Jack had been in his own bed since Friday, and he fucking missed it. Although he loved the fact that Alex's bed smelt like.. well, Alex, it was just nice to finally be home.

At least until his phone sounded, and goddammit, he did not want to be woke up early yet again. He hadn't slept in for days, and that was another one of the things he missed.

He was about to pound his phone into the nightstand before looking at it and realizing that it was a text from Alex. He sighed, opening the message and grinning once he saw it.

'Please explain to me why Jazz is skipping around the house singing “Jacky and Daddy sitting in a tree. K-i-s-s-i-n-g”.'