The Party Scene Has Got the Best of Me

ALEX'S POV

"HAPPY FIRST OF DECEMBER JASEY!" I yelled to Jasey as I passed excitable 5 month old crawling around in her little play pen thing on my way to the kitchen. She was absolutely adorable. I still couldn't get over how much she looked like me, besides the hair and eyes.

"Alex! Why are you yelling? It's only December," Erin complained, as she made put dog food into the two bowls. I turned to her, a huge smile on my face.

"Yup, two weeks till my birthday, 15 days till the wedding, 18 days till Rian's birthday, which is still annoying me, by the way, I can't believe he's on his honeymoon for his birthday, no lads night out, and 25 days till Christmas! Plus, we get to have the first advent chocolate today. Oh, that reminds me, when are we gonna go shopping for Jasey?"

Erin sighed. "I hadn't even thought about it. What do you get a baby for Christmas?"

"Erm...baby stuff? I don't actually know...I mean, we've got her pretty much everything...I spoil her too much." Erin laughed at that. I liked her laugh. A lot.

"Yeah, you really do, I told you not to, did I or did I not say we would have this problem if you bought everything for her?" she said, raising her eyebrows.

"Yes, you told me. There you have it, I'm wrong, you were right...again," I said over dramatically. Erin winked at me.

Soon enough, Sebastian and Peyton, our dogs, came to eat their food and chased each other out just as quickly to get back to Jasey. They were only puppies, so after much bargaining with Erin and persuasion from the doctors, she finally let them be within breathing space of Jasey. I thought it was cute, all of them playing together. And although it had only been two weeks, it really was improving Jasey's health, according to the nurses that came to visit.

The doorbell rang and Erin hurried to the door so the dogs would stop going crazy. I went and picked Jasey up out of her play pen and fussed over her for a bit on the couch, before Sebastian and Peyton started demanding her attention again. She leaned down, away from me, and made some gurgling noises, so I let the pups on the couch for her to play with, while I still held her on my lap. She was still tiny, but bigger than she was before, which was good. She was always gonna be small because of being premature, but she was growing at a normal rate apparently, so that was good.

Erin came back to the living room, a very embarrassed looking Jack following her.

"Hey man, what's up? I'd stand up...but I'm kinda busy right now..." I said, referring to Jasey and the dogs.

Jack laughed. "Nah that's fine...I just, uhm, need to err...talk...to you." Yeah, Jack was nervous. What the hell was this about?

Erin quickly caught on. "I'll...go do some shopping. Do you want me to take Jasey, or...?" I shook my head.

"Nah, I'm good." She nodded and picked up the car keys. "Hey," I said, just as she made for the door.

"Yeah?"

"Don't get anything for Jasey yet, I wanna be there when we buy her stuff." Erin smiled and nodded. Then she left the living room and I heard the door close.

I turned my attention to Jack, and let Jasey crawl along the couch to properly hug the small puppies. Jack was sat on the other couch, seen as the dogs, myself and Jasey had pretty much taken over this one.

"Made your move on Erin yet?" Jack asked, not wanting to delve straight into whatever it was he wanted to talk about.

I shook my head. "Not yet, I'm just kinda scared she won't reciprocate and then she'll leave and take Jasey with her. I don't think I could handle losing them both."

Jack looked at me sympathetically. "Alex, she wouldn't do that. You've known her almost a year now. And I'm telling you, she feels the same."

I was gonna reply, but then I remembered this wasn't about me or my love life...or rather non-existent love life. "Look, you came round here to talk, and I doubt it was about me, so what is it you wanted to talk about?"

Jack shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "I...well...you know my girlfriend, Alex?" I nodded. "Yeah, well, we've been going out for a while now, and she's an awesome girl, and I'm in love with her, and she makes me laugh, and the sex is-"

"DON'T NEED TO KNOW! There's a child present!" I interrupted.

Jack smirked. "Sorry...but it really is incredible, I mean there's this thing she does where-"

"JACK! Seriously! Stop! Jasey does not need to hear this, even if she can't understand it...and I'm not sure if I'm old enough to hear it."

He laughed. "Sorry...I won't say anymore on that...and you shall never know what goes on in my boudoir."

"Good, I don't want to know." Does the guy have no limits? Seriously? I'm sure Alex wouldn't thank him for telling me how great the sex is...then again I'll bet she's already told her friends how great Jack is in bed. It's just what girls do, right?

"Well, anyway...I...I...she's incredible and..."

"And what?" I asked. Why was he so damn nervous?

"I wanna ask her to marry me!" he blurted out. Well... "I just...I mean, the whole thing with Rian getting married and you not making a move on Erin made me realise that I don't ever want to let Alex go, and I don't want her to find someone else, or leave it too late. I guess I just wanted to know what you think. Like, is it too early? Do you think she'd say yes?" Jack looked me in the eyes.

"Jack, do you love her?" He nodded. "And she loves you?" He nodded again. "Then no, it's not too early, and I don't think she could say no." I smiled at him and he was absolutely beaming. "Get yo fat ass over here and gimme a hug dammit!"

He laughed and stood up to have a very manly but brotherly hug. When we parted we slapped each other's backs. It's a guy thing...

"So when do you plan on asking her?"

Jack's face lit up even more so, if that was possible. "As soon as she gets home. I already bought the ring...I got it a good few weeks ago."

I smiled. "That's awesome dude. Go! Run like the wind!"

Jack laughed, and Erin came back, groceries in hand and a few other bags from other stores. I told her not to get any presents for Jasey!

Erin smiled as she hurried through to the kitchen to put everything away, then headed to her room with the other bags. Jack saw me watching her, and punched me to bring me back to reality. "Ow! Dude! Really?"

"It's rude to stare!" I rolled my eyes. "Make sure you ask her out soon. Or just do the same as me and pop the question."

My eyes widened. "Dude! Be quiet! She might hear you!" I whispered.

Jack looked at me and in all seriousness said, "Good, then you two my actually get together."

Erin came back into the living room. "Hey Jack, you staying for lunch?"

Jack shook his head. "Nah, gotta get home, got something to ask Alex," he smiled. Then he turned to me just before he left, and very quietly whispered something to me. He smiled and walked out the door, saying bye to Erin.

When he was gone, I turned to Erin, who was snuggling Jasey close to her body.

"What was in those other bags? That didn't have the groceries in? They weren't any of Jasey's presents were they?"

Erin smiled as she shook her head slightly, trying not to move too much in case Jasey pulled out Erin's hair that she was gripping. "Nope."

I was confused. "Then what was?"

"Your birthday presents...so don't look at the bank statements for a while...can't have you figuring out what I got you before your birthday! But..." she trailed off, frowning.

"But what?"

Her face went from happily secretive to frowning, and a little upset. "I couldn't get you a present with my own money...I'm really sorry...I-"

I hugged her to stop her from talking, putting my arm around Jasey too.

"It's fine, stop it. I told you not to worry. I have more than enough money, and you already use enough of your time looking after this little one here. It's fine. I don't care that I brought my own birthday present technically, because you thought what to buy. So it's fine. It's still you giving me a present. But you didn't really have to, you already got me Jasey, I don't need anything else." That was a lie, I needed her. I needed Erin. But it made her feel better because she leaned back, smiled, and kissed my cheek, and handed Jasey to me, telling me she was going for a shower.

I held Jasey close, as the puppies ran around me, demanding the infant's attention. I kissed her forehead, adorning the little human being in my arms that brought so much joy. Then I thought about what Jack said. And smiled.

"When I said you should pop the question, you never said no."