Daddy and the Nanny

September arrived and it was time for all the kids to go back to school and for Alex to finally start his new job. Currently though, he was having a hard time getting Dylan to get out of bed.

“Dyl, time to get up baby,” Alex cooed at the child.

“No,” Dylan whined as he pulled the blankets tighter around his body.

“Yes baby. Today’s your first day of school.”

Dylan pouted and sat up to look at Alex who was already dressed for the day. Alex simply gave the smallest child of the house a warm smile and kissed the top of his head before standing up from the bed.

“Do you want me to pick out your clothes?” Alex asked him, though he already knew the answer. Dylan was finally starting to get more independent and not rely on his old nanny all the time.

“No, I can do it, Ali. I’m a big boy, ‘member?” Dylan spoke as he climbed out of his bed and headed towards his dresser.

Alex simply smiled as he watched the tiny boy move around the room to collect his clothes before heading out of the room to get Taylor and Tyler for breakfast.

“Where’s Dylan?” Ty asked curiously as Alex ushered them towards the stairs.

“Getting changed. Go downstairs and I’ll be down in a few minutes with Dylan.”

Both kids nodded and walked downstairs as Alex headed back to Dylan’s room where the little boy was standing in the doorway with a large grin on his face. Alex eyed the child who was wearing a plaid button down shirt with the buttons all buttoned unevenly and his dark blue skinny jeans that May had gotten him for his birthday and his tiny converse placed on the wrong feet.

“Did I do good, Ali?” Dylan asked so innocently as he tilted his head to the side that Alex didn’t really want to break the child’s heart by saying no.

“You were close enough, baby. Here, let me fix your buttons and then your shoes,” Alex told him.

Dylan pouted and looked down at himself, giggling as he noticed his buttons and then moving his feet.

“No wonder my toes feel all squished,” Dylan giggled again.

Alex laughed and picked up Dylan by his armpits and carried him towards the bed, setting him down before getting to work on his shoes and then his shirt.

“You still did great though and I’m really proud of you, bunny,” Alex told the kid, kissing his forehead before he picked him up.

“Thank you,” Dylan grinned, showing off his teeth and squinting his eyes shut.

Alex arrived at the kitchen and sat Dylan in his chair as Grace placed Dylan’s breakfast in front of him.

“Morning, kiddo,” Grace greeted him.

“Morning, Grace!” Dylan chirped happily.

Jack walked in as he tucked his phone into his pocket and smiled at his family.

“Morning everyone!” Jack greeted them all.

“Morning daddy!” The kids replied happily as they continued eating their pancakes.

“And good morning to you too, babe,” Jack whispered in Alex’s ear as he pecked said man’s lips.

“Morning,” Alex blushed lightly.

“You kiddies ready for school?”

“No.” They all groaned tiredly and the adults laughed.

“Yep and hurry up so we can go,” Jack told them as he sat down to drink his coffee with Alex next to him.

“Are you both taking us to school?” Ty asked with a smile.

“Yep. We gotta do some errands before we both go to work,” Alex replied as he wiped syrup away from Dylan’s chin.

They were rushing around ten minutes later, shouting and grabbing backpacks before the family of five headed for the SUV they had recently gotten for their growing family.

“Alright kids, remember to behave at school and try your best,” Alex told the two oldest as he walked them to the front doors with Jack and Dylan.

“We know, dad,” Ty smiled as he kissed Alex’s cheek and waited for Taylor to say goodbye to the other three.

Jack and Alex watched the two kids disappear into the building before walking an impatient Dylan to the pre-kindergarten area. Dylan immediately clung to both men as he watched all the parents say goodbye to the kids his age.

“I no want to go anymore,” Dylan mumbled nervously as he looked between both his parents.

“Aww, baby. You have to go,” Jack told Dylan as he picked him up. “Look, you’ll have lots of fun here, bug. You get to play with kids your age and make friends!”

“But-”

“No buts, baby. You’ll have fun, I promise,” Alex told the child as he moved closer to them.

Dylan sighed and eventually said goodbye to both males before he too disappeared into his classroom with his TMNT backpack.

“It’s always bittersweet to say goodbye to your kids on the first day of school,” Jack sighed as he held Alex’s hand as they made their way back to the car.

“Well, it’s my first time with these kids on their first day,” Alex shrugged, “but I agree.”

“The first of many, babes. And especially when we have our own kids, you’ll feel the pain a lot more.”

“Jack,” Alex whined.

Jack simply laughed as he opened the passenger door for Alex and then closed it. The car ride was full of chatter, mostly from Jack who kept throwing names here and there for their future children.

“If you don’t shut up, I’ll smack you,” Alex threatened his boyfriend who pouted.

“Are you sure you’re fine though? I mean, why’d you make a doctor’s appointment? You’re not really pregnant are you?” Jack asked quickly, taking his eyes away from the road for a few seconds to look at Alex.

“No Jack, I’m not. Besides, we haven’t had actual sex in like three or four months. It’s just a routine check up, babe. Nothing to worry about,” Alex chuckled as he shook his head and placed his hand on Jack’s thigh, rubbing it soothingly.

After Alex’s doctor’s appointment, both men parted ways and headed to work. Alex was nervous about his new job. He was heading into his father’s company as the head of the design team, but in reality, Alex was also starting to do online college courses to get his degree as a music teacher. It’s what he really wants to do.

~~~

“So Alex, how are you liking your new job, son?” Mr Gaskarth asked as he leaned back in his seat and looked at his eldest son.

“You know I don’t really want to be here, though. Like, I do, but you know what I actually want to do,” Alex told his father sincerely who chuckled.

“I know, Lex. This is only temporary, remember? It’s until Amy comes back.”

Alex smiled and nodded happily.

“How are the kids doing?” Alex’s dad asked as he went back to looking through his paperwork.

“They’re-” Alex paused, “kids. Jack and I struggled with Dylan this morning when we dropped him off at school.”

The conversation went on for a few more minutes before Alex went back to his office. Alex felt empty, in a way. He wasn’t used to being away from his kids and he wasn’t sure if it was his separation anxiety, but he wanted to march into the school and take them out. Alex had been stuck watching over Dylan since January and now he was missing his little bunny.

“Knock knock,” Came Zack’s voice from the doorway and Alex smiled as he looked at his friend.

“Hey dude. Aren’t you supposed to be at school?” Alex asked him as he leaned back in his chair.

“Not until one. How’s the job coming along?” Zack asked as he took a seat in front of Alex.

“Boring. I’m thinking about going home now.”

“Dude, it’s only ten. I’m sure you can hold it together until two.”

“Actually, I think I’m gonna call May and tell her I’m picking up Dylan in two hours from school.”

“Job that bad, huh?” Zack asked as he looked at the papers on the desk.

“It’s not that it’s bad, it’s just that dad wants me to finish the work Amy left started and I have no clue what to do because well, I don’t have Amy’s ideas,” Alex sighed in frustration.

“Bro, you need to calm down. Why don’t you ask around? Ask the other members of the design team or I know, call Amy.”

“Zack, she’s on maternity leave, I really don’t want to bother her with something this stupid.”

“You’re so complicated, Lex.”

Zack left shortly after and Alex went back to studying the designs before he left to go get Dylan at school.

~~~

“Daddy!” Dylan cheered happily as Alex walked into his classroom and ran up to him.

“Hi bunny, I’ve missed you so much,” Alex whispered in Dylan’s ear as he held him tight in his arms.

“I’ve missed you too, daddy, but I made friends like you said!” Dylan exclaimed as he pulled back from their hug to look at Alex with wide eyes.

“Oh really? I’m proud of you, kiddo. Are you ready to go?”

Dylan nodded and one of the teachers walked up to them with a smile and Dylan’s backpack in her hand.

“I’m Miss Leon,” She smiled.

“Alex Gaskarth.”

“Are you not his actual father?”

“Um, step-father actually. Anyways, I’m not sure if I’ll pick him up everyday, but my sister-in-law will most likely do it when I can’t.”

“No worries, that is totally fine. If a day comes when no one can come pick him up, we do have an after class program for the little ones that runs until the normal school time and then you could have one of his older siblings come pick him up.”

“Thanks, I’ll talk to the kids about it. Come on champ.”

“Hey, daddy?” Dylan yawned as he rested his head on Alex’s shoulder.

“Yeah, bunny?”

“My friend Patrick has a puppy, can we have a bunny?”

“He has a puppy, but you want a bunny? Weird, but I don’t think your dad will let you have one when you can’t even button your own shirt.”

Dylan pouted as he hid his face in the crook of Alex’s neck, mumbling random things while Alex tried to follow along, but his mind wandered off.