Bittersweet Life
Title: Bittersweet Life 9
Author: new_againxo
Rating: PG-13 [for now]
Pairing: Jalex
Summary: Alex is nearly ten years younger than Jack. That doesn't stop him from getting involved.
POV: 3rd person
Disclaimer: I don't own these guys. I never will. I swear.
A/N: Next chapter may or may not be in Zack or Martin's p.o.v
Previous Chapters
"So…you and Zack are like…brothers? That’s what Martin told me.”
Alex nods in response to Jack’s question. He adjusts his hold on Cayden and says, “Yeah. I’ve known him for about 3 years now…I live with him.”
“Oh. Well that’s cool. How’d you meet?”
Alex’s brain freezes. He has no idea what to say. There’s no way in hell that he’s explaining to Jack exactly how he met Zack. “Um…At a party,” He quickly decides.
“Was he with Martin at that point?”
“Um. Yes.”
That part’s not a lie. Just thinking about it makes Alex feel like a whore. He helped Zack cheat on Martin. Not directly, of course, but still.
“Oh. Well, you probably know I’m not Zack’s biggest fan.”
“You have every right to hate him,” Alex says quietly. “If I were you, I would.” With a glance down at the baby in his arms, Alex can’t help but smile a bit. He’s struggling to keep his eyes open.
“I do hate him,” Jack admits. He leans forward in his seat at the kitchen table and gently brushes his fingers against his son’s cheek. “He seems to like you.”
Alex shrugs. “He’s half asleep. He probably just thinks that I’m you.” He smiles slightly at Jack, his heart beat quickening. He has to remind himself that he’s holding a baby and that dropping him because he’s too busy staring at this beautiful man’s face would not be a good idea. “But, yeah…Zack’s not a good boyfriend - at all. And I think that he knows it and that’s why he broke up with Martin.”
“But Martin loves him. As much as it pains me to say this, Martin’s never going to get over him. Zack just keeps dragging him along - he keeps letting Martin think that there’s still something between them.”
“Zack’s an asshole, what can I say?”
Jack grins at Alex’s blunt statement. “Watch your language around my kid,” he jokes. He reaches out and takes Cayden from Alex and holds him close to his chest. “I’m just kidding. I don’t really believe that he can pick up on words yet. My mom tells me that everything I do will influence him somehow - but I don’t believe it.”
“What, you don’t play classical music to help him fall asleep?” Alex teases. He glances down at his cell phone and sighs. It’s nearly 6:30. He should probably get home soon and let Jack have the rest of the night to himself.
“No, actually I play Brand New sometimes. Occasionally Blink182.”
Alex gapes at him. “You like Blink182?”
“No, they suck.”
“But…then…why-”
“I’m just kidding, Alex. I love them.”
Alex sighs, a light blush covering his cheeks. “Right.”
“Cayden enjoys Brand New more than Blink.”
“Clearly you haven’t taught him correctly.”
Jack smiles and kisses the top of Cayden’s head. “One day he’ll realize the error of his ways. But for right now, if Brand New is what gets him to sleep, I’m not going to complain.”
Just as Jack stands up from the kitchen table, there’s a knock at the front door. Jack looks confused, as if he’s trying to figure out who would be at his front door.
“Do you want me to answer it?” Alex asks. He inches slowly towards the swinging door.
“Uh, yeah. Sure. I’m just going to put him in his crib…” Jack leaves the room before Alex and Alex hears him walking up the steps. He nods to himself and pushes the door open and walks through the living room to the front door. Just as he reaches to unlock the door, the person on the other side pushes the door open. Martin walks in, his whole body soaked with water.
“What are you doing here?” Alex asks. “And why are you wet?”
“Jack’s sprinklers went on as I was walking up the sidewalk,” He mutters, pulling his jacket off and kicking his sneakers into the corner of the room. “I’m here because Zack asked me to pick you up and bring you home.”
Alex’s heart sinks. He knows he has to leave, but he really, really does not want to. “Um… Why would he ask you to do that?”
“Well, he said he had a few things to do after closing the café. I don’t mind. It’s not like I have anything to do. I don’t go into work until 11.”
“But… But Zack’s-”
“Zack and I talked, so don’t worry about me.” Martin pushes past Alex and walks into the kitchen. “Where’s Jack?”
“Putting Cayden to bed.”
“Oh. So how’d it go? You think you can handle him?”
“Yeah - I mean, I’ve never been left alone with a kid, so he’s definitely going to have to like be around the first few times.”
“Yeah, Brittney’s still here anyway. Once she’s gone though you’re going to have to be completely ready. Isn’t he the cutest baby, though?”
“Yeah. He’s adorable. And really sweet. He barely cries.”
“Yeah, he’s a calm one. Jack got lucky. Anyway, you ready to go? I was thinking of making you dinner or something. I’m pretty sure you’ve been living off of cereal and microwave meals for the past few months.”
“I would seriously love you forever if you made me dinner.” Alex grabs his jacket off the chair and his cell phone from the table. “Let me just tell Jack I’m leaving.”
Alex walks up the steps to the second floor. He’s not sure which room is Cayden’s, but he takes a chance and pushes open the first door on the right. Luck is on his side tonight, because it turns out to be the room he’s looking for. Jack is standing over the crib, smiling and talking softly to Cayden.
“Hey, Jack?” Alex says, keeping his voice low. “Martin came to pick me up.”
Jack looks over at the door and frowns. “Martin?”
“Yeah…He said Zack asked him to do it. I don’t know why.”
“Asshole,” he hears Jack mutter under his breath. “Alright, well… Can we do this again tomorrow? I just want you to get totally used to this so I can leave you alone with him by the weekend, you know?”
“Yeah, definitely!” Alex responds excitedly. Once he realizes how eager he sounds, he blushes. “I mean, um, I can do that.”
Jack smirks. “Okay. I’ll be at the café at 3, as usual.”
“Awesome… Well um…I’ll see you tomorrow,” Alex says, waving slightly. He turns towards the door but Jack grabs his arm.
“Alex…I…I just want to thank you. I mean, you’re really doing me such a big favor by helping me out right now.”
“Hey, it’s no big deal,” Alex assures him, his eyes locked on Jack’s hand on his arm. “It’s not like I have school or anything.”
“Right…still, it’s really awesome of you to do this.”
Alex’s eyes move from Jack’s hand up to Jack’s face. He nods slowly and smiles. “You’re a nice guy. I just want to help you out.”
When Jack releases Alex’s arm, Alex can’t help but feel disappointed. When he meets Martin downstairs at the front door, he fakes a smile and follows him out to the car.
Author: new_againxo
Rating: PG-13 [for now]
Pairing: Jalex
Summary: Alex is nearly ten years younger than Jack. That doesn't stop him from getting involved.
POV: 3rd person
Disclaimer: I don't own these guys. I never will. I swear.
A/N: Next chapter may or may not be in Zack or Martin's p.o.v
Previous Chapters
"So…you and Zack are like…brothers? That’s what Martin told me.”
Alex nods in response to Jack’s question. He adjusts his hold on Cayden and says, “Yeah. I’ve known him for about 3 years now…I live with him.”
“Oh. Well that’s cool. How’d you meet?”
Alex’s brain freezes. He has no idea what to say. There’s no way in hell that he’s explaining to Jack exactly how he met Zack. “Um…At a party,” He quickly decides.
“Was he with Martin at that point?”
“Um. Yes.”
That part’s not a lie. Just thinking about it makes Alex feel like a whore. He helped Zack cheat on Martin. Not directly, of course, but still.
“Oh. Well, you probably know I’m not Zack’s biggest fan.”
“You have every right to hate him,” Alex says quietly. “If I were you, I would.” With a glance down at the baby in his arms, Alex can’t help but smile a bit. He’s struggling to keep his eyes open.
“I do hate him,” Jack admits. He leans forward in his seat at the kitchen table and gently brushes his fingers against his son’s cheek. “He seems to like you.”
Alex shrugs. “He’s half asleep. He probably just thinks that I’m you.” He smiles slightly at Jack, his heart beat quickening. He has to remind himself that he’s holding a baby and that dropping him because he’s too busy staring at this beautiful man’s face would not be a good idea. “But, yeah…Zack’s not a good boyfriend - at all. And I think that he knows it and that’s why he broke up with Martin.”
“But Martin loves him. As much as it pains me to say this, Martin’s never going to get over him. Zack just keeps dragging him along - he keeps letting Martin think that there’s still something between them.”
“Zack’s an asshole, what can I say?”
Jack grins at Alex’s blunt statement. “Watch your language around my kid,” he jokes. He reaches out and takes Cayden from Alex and holds him close to his chest. “I’m just kidding. I don’t really believe that he can pick up on words yet. My mom tells me that everything I do will influence him somehow - but I don’t believe it.”
“What, you don’t play classical music to help him fall asleep?” Alex teases. He glances down at his cell phone and sighs. It’s nearly 6:30. He should probably get home soon and let Jack have the rest of the night to himself.
“No, actually I play Brand New sometimes. Occasionally Blink182.”
Alex gapes at him. “You like Blink182?”
“No, they suck.”
“But…then…why-”
“I’m just kidding, Alex. I love them.”
Alex sighs, a light blush covering his cheeks. “Right.”
“Cayden enjoys Brand New more than Blink.”
“Clearly you haven’t taught him correctly.”
Jack smiles and kisses the top of Cayden’s head. “One day he’ll realize the error of his ways. But for right now, if Brand New is what gets him to sleep, I’m not going to complain.”
Just as Jack stands up from the kitchen table, there’s a knock at the front door. Jack looks confused, as if he’s trying to figure out who would be at his front door.
“Do you want me to answer it?” Alex asks. He inches slowly towards the swinging door.
“Uh, yeah. Sure. I’m just going to put him in his crib…” Jack leaves the room before Alex and Alex hears him walking up the steps. He nods to himself and pushes the door open and walks through the living room to the front door. Just as he reaches to unlock the door, the person on the other side pushes the door open. Martin walks in, his whole body soaked with water.
“What are you doing here?” Alex asks. “And why are you wet?”
“Jack’s sprinklers went on as I was walking up the sidewalk,” He mutters, pulling his jacket off and kicking his sneakers into the corner of the room. “I’m here because Zack asked me to pick you up and bring you home.”
Alex’s heart sinks. He knows he has to leave, but he really, really does not want to. “Um… Why would he ask you to do that?”
“Well, he said he had a few things to do after closing the café. I don’t mind. It’s not like I have anything to do. I don’t go into work until 11.”
“But… But Zack’s-”
“Zack and I talked, so don’t worry about me.” Martin pushes past Alex and walks into the kitchen. “Where’s Jack?”
“Putting Cayden to bed.”
“Oh. So how’d it go? You think you can handle him?”
“Yeah - I mean, I’ve never been left alone with a kid, so he’s definitely going to have to like be around the first few times.”
“Yeah, Brittney’s still here anyway. Once she’s gone though you’re going to have to be completely ready. Isn’t he the cutest baby, though?”
“Yeah. He’s adorable. And really sweet. He barely cries.”
“Yeah, he’s a calm one. Jack got lucky. Anyway, you ready to go? I was thinking of making you dinner or something. I’m pretty sure you’ve been living off of cereal and microwave meals for the past few months.”
“I would seriously love you forever if you made me dinner.” Alex grabs his jacket off the chair and his cell phone from the table. “Let me just tell Jack I’m leaving.”
Alex walks up the steps to the second floor. He’s not sure which room is Cayden’s, but he takes a chance and pushes open the first door on the right. Luck is on his side tonight, because it turns out to be the room he’s looking for. Jack is standing over the crib, smiling and talking softly to Cayden.
“Hey, Jack?” Alex says, keeping his voice low. “Martin came to pick me up.”
Jack looks over at the door and frowns. “Martin?”
“Yeah…He said Zack asked him to do it. I don’t know why.”
“Asshole,” he hears Jack mutter under his breath. “Alright, well… Can we do this again tomorrow? I just want you to get totally used to this so I can leave you alone with him by the weekend, you know?”
“Yeah, definitely!” Alex responds excitedly. Once he realizes how eager he sounds, he blushes. “I mean, um, I can do that.”
Jack smirks. “Okay. I’ll be at the café at 3, as usual.”
“Awesome… Well um…I’ll see you tomorrow,” Alex says, waving slightly. He turns towards the door but Jack grabs his arm.
“Alex…I…I just want to thank you. I mean, you’re really doing me such a big favor by helping me out right now.”
“Hey, it’s no big deal,” Alex assures him, his eyes locked on Jack’s hand on his arm. “It’s not like I have school or anything.”
“Right…still, it’s really awesome of you to do this.”
Alex’s eyes move from Jack’s hand up to Jack’s face. He nods slowly and smiles. “You’re a nice guy. I just want to help you out.”
When Jack releases Alex’s arm, Alex can’t help but feel disappointed. When he meets Martin downstairs at the front door, he fakes a smile and follows him out to the car.