Daddy and the Nanny

“I knew this night would end bad.” Alex mumbled as he leaned back in the uncomfortable hospital chairs.

“Sure you did, big bro.” Shane teased, teaching Dylan how to play a game on his phone while they waited for Jack and Tyler to walk out of the room the nurse had led them to.

“Something always goes wrong with these kids though.”

“True.”

“Hey!” Taylor pouted.

Jack walked out with Tyler clinging to his side, his left arm wrapped in a green cast as they made their way over to the others. Alex was up immediately and wrapping his oldest boy into a hug and kissing the top of his head.

“Does it hurt, baby?” Alex asked the child who cuddled into his warm embrace.

“A little, but the painkillers they gave me are taking away the pain.” Ty replied, his eyes feeling heavy with the medication.

“We should get him home, babe, before he passes out on us.” Jack joked as he picked up Dylan and they all walked out of the hospital.

“So how long does he have to wear his cast?” Alex asked his boyfriend as he held the child against him, walking across the somewhat dark parking lot searching for their car.

“At least six weeks. He’ll have another appointment then to see how his wrist is doing.” Jack explained. “I still don’t understand how your managed to break your wrist, Tyler.”

“Well, I was gonna fall face first into the ground, but instead of falling to my face like Dylan does, I thought about putting my arms out and my wrist couldn’t hold all of my weight up.” Ty explained, earning a giggle from Dylan who was happily skipping next to his older brother and Ali.

“You expected your weak little arms to hold you up?” Shane teased his friend.

“Rude.” Ty pouted.

“Boys, don’t start fighting.” Alex spoke sternly, his grip on Tyler’s shoulder tightening a bit as they reached the car.

“Can we go home? I can’t keep my eyes open for much longer.” Ty whined, leaning his whole weight on Alex who struggled a bit in keeping the boy upright.

The drive home was silent. Ty had dozed off on Shane’s shoulder while Taylor kept her younger brother entertained with Alex’s phone as Jack drove them home in the late night.

Once they reached their home, Jack had to carry Tyler inside and up to his bedroom while the others walked inside the house and Alex got the children ready for bed.

“I’m not sleepy, Ali.” Dylan whined as he was lead into his room.

“Sure you aren’t. Come on.”

Alex helped the toddler change into his jammies before telling him to go brush his teeth while Alex undid Dylan’s bed. Dylan ran back into his room and jumped on his bed, yawning as he got under the covers and hugged his stuffed animal to his chest.

“Night baby.” Alex smiled as he kissed Dylan’s forehead.

“Night, Ali.” Dylan mumbled as his eyes slipped shut and Alex left the room quietly after turning on Dylan’s Batman night light.

He walked into Tay’s room and smiled when he saw Jack tucking the little girl under her butterfly covered blanket. Taylor smiled up at Alex as he moved around a discarded pair of converse laying on the floor by the foot of the bed.

“Came to say goodnight?” Taylor asked with a giggle, watching as Alex sat next to her.

“Of course I did, princess. Hope you have sweet dreams.” Alex smiled, leaning down to place a kiss on her cheeks.

“Night, Lex. Night dad.” Tay smiled, turning on her side and clutching her stuffed panda close to her.

“Night kiddo.” Jack smiled as he grabbed his boyfriend’s hand and led him out of the room after turning off the light.

Checking in on Tyler and Shane last, they both smiled when the two older boys were tucked safely in the bed and already deep asleep.

“Guess we tired them out today.” Jack chuckled as he lead his boyfriend down the long hallway to their bedroom.

“We sure did. Overall it was a great day, except, you know, for the part where Tyler broke his wrist.” Alex frowned as Jack closed their bedroom door and he moved over to the dresser to fetch his pajamas.

“I know. Poor kid.” Jack sighed, starting to undo the bed after taking off his black skinny jeans and white t-shirt he’d been wearing. “I’m gonna go brush my teeth while you change.”

“Good, cause remember, you’re not getting any.” Alex teased.

“You and your stupid rules.” Jack mumbled jokingly before disappearing into the ensuite.

~ ~ ~ ~

The next morning, Shane was dead to the world. If his chest wasn’t rising and falling with every soft inhale and exhale he made, Tyler would have guessed his best friend was dead. Tyler even got out of bed without making Shane twitch under the covers he was currently hogging.

“You’re such a weirdo.” Tyler sighed before walking out of his room and down the cool hallway. “Man this house is cold.”

“Morning, babe.” Alex smiled as he walked over to him after exiting Dylan’s bedroom with some dirty clothes in his arms.

“Morning, daddy.” Tyler smiled, wrapping his arms around Alex’s waist tightly, careful of his injured arm.

Alex couldn't help but smile wide as he hugged the child back, his heart racing in excitement as his stomach fluttered with butterflies.

“How’s your wrist?”

“It hurts and I was looking for you.”

“Let’s go find your prescription then. Is Shane still asleep?”

“More like dead.” Tyler snickered as he let go of the older male and followed him down the stairs.

“That’s my brother for ya.” Alex sighed, leading the boy into the bathroom where they kept their medicine.

Tyler stepped into the bathroom, recoiling at the cold sensation he felt when his barefeet stepped onto the cold tile floor. Alex tsked as he looked down at Ty’s feet and opened the cabinet, rummaging through the half empty medicine bottles, prescription bottles and regular pills until he found the one with Tyler’s name on the label.

“Remember kid, one pill every four hours.” Alex reminded the child who nodded.

“Ali!” Dylan cried, running through the first floor of the house until he found said man in the bathroom with his older brother, quickly attaching himself to Alex’s jean covered legs.

“What are you doing you monkey?” Alex questioned as he lifted the child into his arms and placed him on his left hip, watching Tyler take his pill before they all walked out of the tiny room.

“You’re mine.” The toddler pouted as he rested his head on Alex’s shoulder and gripped his t-shirt.

“Don’t be such a baby. He’s not just yours.” Tyler spoke up, looking at his baby brother with jealousy.

“‘m not a baby and he is too mine!”

“Alex does not appreciate yelling in his ear.” Alex winced as his ear rang with Dylan’s high pitched screaming. “Kids, don’t start fighting so early. Tyler, go wake up Shane so we can eat breakfast. If he doesn’t, just dump water on him.”

Ty nodded and ran up the stairs, almost tripping on a toy car as he reached the last three steps. By the time Tyler reached his bedroom, Shane was sitting up in bed and stretching tiredly.

“I thought I was going to throw water on you to wake you up.” Ty teased as he threw a pillow at Shane.

“Alex suggested that?” Shane asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Yep. Breakfast is ready.”

“Can I sign your cast later?” Shane questioned as they headed down the stairs, attempting to fix his messy hair.

“Sure, just don't write anything dumb.” Ty shrugged, walking into the kitchen and smiled when he smelled bacon. “Oh my gosh, bacon!”

Shane chuckled as he walked after a running Tyler, greeting everyone else in the kitchen good morning and taking a seat across from Dylan at the table. Dylan smiled at Shane and started whining for his food.

“Wait a minute, bud.” Alex spoke as he grabbed the plates and handed them over to Jack who turned off the stove and started piling up food on the plates.

Breakfast was chaos. Dylan and Tyler kept arguing across the table, scrambled eggs flying everywhere until Jack had had enough and sent both boys to their bedrooms without finishing their breakfast.

“Home sweet home.” Alex mumbled sarcastically under his breath as Shane helped him clean up the mess.