On A Fool's Holiday

Little Isabella tiptoed into the room, her tiny feet skidding across the hardwood floor. Peeking open the door, she saw her two dads tangled together in their sheets, snoring softly. She thought of leaving them alone for a little, but after taking another glance at the outside world, her childish brain thought their sleep was least important at the moment.

She climbed towards Jack's side, pulling her small frame up as she began to bounce on the bed.

"Daddy!" Her high pitched voice yelled as she simultaneously jumped on the bed, trying to awake him.

Jack groaned in his sleep, fully aware it wasn't Alex that was bouncing on the mattress shouting out "Daddy!"

"Sweetheart let daddy sleep." Jack mumbled, snuggling further into Alex.

"But daddy it's snowing outside! Daddy look at it! It's so pretty!" She shrieked, grabbing her father's arm and pulling it, causing Jack to groan even louder.

Realizing he wasn't going to be getting anymore sleep, he let his daughter pull him out of bed. Jack smiled down at the little girl. Him and Alex had adopted her years ago. Surely she wasn't entirely theirs, but it almost seemed as if she was. With her dark hair like Jack's and caramel eyes like Alex's. At only four years old she acted like both her fathers. She was reckless like Jack but nonetheless, intelligent like Alex. And they both loved her to death.

He felt himself being dragged towards the window, which surely Isabella's miniature palm pressed against the cold glass as she marveled at the scene. The entire ground was covered in white, little flakes still falling from the sky creating the perfect winter scenery. Isabella had seen snow before, but still tend to get excited over the beauty of it.

"Let's go wake up daddy." Jack suggested, glancing over at his still sleeping husband. Alex could sleep like a rock sometimes. Isabella sent a mischievous look towards Jack, and with a smirk and a nod, she made her way towards Alex. Practically throwing herself on her father, she screamed "Daddy!" so loud even Jack had to cover his ears for a moment.

The older boy jolted awake, his eyes almost bulging out of head. Once they landed on a certain little girl, a lazy smile overtook Alex's face.

"Princess, what did I say about screaming in the house?" Alex asked, sending a knowing look to his daughter.

"Daddy told me to." She blamed, sending a poifinger towards Jack. Jack covered his mouth, trying not to laugh over the situation.

"Of course he did." Alex nodded, his eyes moving towards Jack who sent him an innocent smile. Isabella repeated the same actions to Alex, using her body strength to pull Alex out of bed and towards the window where she showed him the snow falling freely to the ground.

Jack watched as Isabella pointed out the snowflakes to Alex, the older boy nodding and responding as the child rambled on and on.

"Daddy, can we go outside and make a snowman?" She turned to Jack, her eyes turned big and bottom lip jutting out into a pout.

Jack grabbed the adorable girl, lifting her up so she was hoisted on his hip.

"Of course we can kiddo. But first we need to finish our Christmas shopping. I still need to get daddy a gift." He whispered the last part in her ear, but still loud enough for Alex to hear.

-------------------------------------------

"Alex, she can't breathe." Jack informed the older boy. Alex, being the more responsible and cautious parent, had wrapped Isabella in about ten different layers. A scarf was tied around her neck, covering her tiny mouth, a hat placed firmly on her head and gloves covering her hands.And sure enough, the child's cheeks were starting to become red from lack of oxygen. Jack walked over to her, pulling her scarf down so her mouth was free.

"Good, so she won't get sick." The last thing Alex wanted was for his little girl to get sick right before Christmas.

"Let's hurry up before Alex puts you in a hamster ball." Jack joked before grabbing his daughters hand, walking towards the door. They paused as Alex called out.

"Wait I don't get a kiss goodbye?" Alex asked, a smirk forming on his face. Jack walked over to him, planting his lips on the older boy's in a sweet kiss. Alex kissed back for a moment before softly pulling away.

"I was talking to our daughter." Alex stated, pecking Jack on the lips nonetheless.

"Sure you were." Jack lifted their daughter up so she could press her lips to Alex's cheek.

Grabbing the keys to his car, Jack and Isabella began their journey to the mall.

Now even though Jack knew everything he possibly could know about Alex, and could read the older boy like a book, he never knew what to get him as a gift. Alex would pull the bullshit answer of "Oh you don't need to get me anything. You don't have to buy me a gift." whenever Jack brought up the subject. The younger boy was more than sure he needed to get Alex something. It was Christmas anyway. Sure Jack got the little gifts, a couple of shirts, a new guitar, and a bottle of cologne that Alex always loved when Jack wore. But he never found the perfect gift. The gift that would outdo all the other gifts.

Jack scanned the stores around him, not finding one that stood out to him. Isabella tugged on his finger, Jack not moving his gaze to her.

"Daddy can we see santa after?" Her voice called out.

"We saw santa three days ago, remember?" Jack didn't bother telling the little girl whether or not santa was real, so he let her be.

"But we have to see him as many times as we can before he goes back to the north pole!" Jack laughed at her childish answer, still pulling her along.

"If we can get the perfect gift for daddy then we can go see santa, okay?" Isabella nodded her head, her eyebrows furrowing as she began to think.

They walked around the mall for about an hour, still not finding anything. Jack was hungry and becoming impatient and was sure his daughter was feeling the same.

Speaking of daughter, she was pulling on Jack's hand, calling out his name to get his attention. Jack ignored her, not caring about santa at the moment.

"Daddy!" She yelled, her small palm hitting his leg repeatedly.

"Not now Isabella." He was considering just leaving. There was always their anniversary.

"But Daddy look!" Jack turned around to frown at the little girl but stopped once he realized what she was pointing at. They were in front of a jewelry store, Isabella pointing to the item in the window. It was simple, just two chains. But a pick was hanging off each, a sign reading "We Do Engravings!" by the item. It was perfect and Alex would love it. Jack looked down at the little girl, grinning widely before swooping down to kiss her cheek. He was right, intelligent like Alex.

"You're the best." Jack said before pulling the little girl into the store.

"Does this mean we get to see santa?"

------------------------------------------

"Daddy open your gift from me first!" The little girl cheered excitingly on Christmas morning. They were gathered around in the living room, cups of hot chocolate in their hands, well at least in Jack and Alex's. Isabella's was placed firmly on the table where she could not spill it while she bounced around the tree.

She thrusted her gift towards Alex. The older boy smiled and felt the gift in his hands, wondering what it could be. It was terribly wrapped, knowing she would want to be the one to wrap it herself, refusing whenever Jack tried to help her. He carefully unwrapped it, a laugh escaping his lips as he looked at it. It was a picture of all of them, made only with macaroni, glitter, and crayon. It was framed in a black frame, the words "I luv my famly" written in scribbled handwriting at the top. Alex felt his heart warm as he lifted his daughter onto his lap.

"This is beautiful. I love it." And he wasn't lying. Isabella's face lit up as she went on to ramble how Jack got the frame and everything.

"Now it's time for my gift!" Jack announced. He had already given Alex the little things which Alex loved and Alex had given Jack the most perfect gifts in return. He held the neatly wrapped present in his hand, sliding it over to Alex, already wearing his chain around his neck. Alex peeled open the gift, his mouth falling open in amazement.

"Jack..." He began.

"Read the back." He informed the older boy. Alex's fingers turned the pick around, the words "My life. My love. My forever. -Jack" engraved across it. Alex felt tears gather in his eyes, even more so when Jack pointed to the similar one he was wearing.

"It says the same thing, except with your name." Alex couldnt stop smiling, even when Isabella lightly tapped his shoulder.

"Daddy are you okay?" She asked. The older boy nodded.

"Yeah I'm great. Hey why don't you go play with some of your presents upstairs in your room and I'll call you when breakfast is ready." The little girl nodded, grabbing her new dolls and other presents in her tiny hands as she trotted upstairs. Once Alex knew she was out of sight he crashed his lips onto Jack's.

"I love you. I love you. God, I love you so much." He repeated over and over again pressing more kisses to Jack's lips. The younger boy laugh, pulling Alex onto his lap so he could kiss him properly.

"I'm guessing you like it?" Jack managed to get out. In response all he got was a nod but with the way Alex was all over him, that's all that he needed.

"Too bad our daughter's right upstairs..." Jack trailed off, as Alex began to lightly suck on his neck, his hands tugging on his pajama shirt.

"We can send her to my mom's?" Alex suggested, rolling his hips into Jack's causing him to gasp.

"Yeah let's do that. But until then, you have some pancakes to make." With that, Jack lifted Alex off his lap, earning a whine from the older boy.

"Merry Christmas, Lex." Jack smiled sweetly at him.

"Merry Christmas, Jack."