I am a posting FIEND
For 13chapters's prompt of Soccer!Fic timestamp. NAAAAAAAAAAW. NATHAN! I <3 him.
“What’re you doing for my dad’s birthday?”
Jensen looked over his shoulder for a second then went back to the dishes. “Haven’t really talked about it. Why?”
“I mean, you were gonna get him outta the house for lunch or whatever,” Nathan said with an uneven shrug. “You doing that, right?”
“It’s possible. What’s up?”
“Nothing.”
Again, Jensen looked over his shoulder. “You for real, kid?”
“What?”
He chuckled and shook his head. “What d’you want?”
“Why do you always think I’m wanting something? Maybe I’m just full of wonder.”
“Full of something,” Jensen mumbled.
“Just making sure you’re doing right by my dad. You know, take him out, remind me he’s still pretty after all these years.”
Jensen made a sudden pfft noise and fumbled a dish into the sink. They both looked guilty with the clattering of ceramic against metal. Then he frowned when he pulled the plate out and even Nathan tsked at the chip.
“Man, Dad’s gonna strangle you.”
“Is not.”
“Is, too. That’s his favorite dish.”
Jensen rolled his eyes.
“This is why we can’t have nice things.”
“Shut up!” Jensen yelled back, less with the heat and more with the humor. “What d’you want? Stop bugging me and just say it.”
Nathan chuckled. “Okay, fine. If you go out with my dad, can you take your car?”
“What the heck for?” he shot back with a twisted smile.
“I was gonna -”
“Use his,” Jensen said with Nathan. “Nice try, kiddo. He’ll break your wrist before you get near it.”
“C’mon, seriously?” he whined. “I just wanted to -”
“Joy ride? Yeah, Happy Birthday Jared. Nathan crashed the car.”
Nathan huffed and even stomped a foot. “I can drive fine! I’d drive better if you guys let me drive.”
“Stop crying, Nathan. It’s unattractive.”
He rolled his eyes and left the room, yanking his phone out immediately and dialing Katie.
“Hey, stranger!” she harped.
“Shuddup. It’s been two days,” he mumbled before charging into what he wanted. “Think you can handle a shopping day with me?”
“I think I can.”
“Really?” he asked with a high voice that he hoped she’d ignore.
“Question is whether I really want to.”
“God, it’s like everyone’s against me today.”
“Oh, no, Nathan. Not just today.”
“Whatever. I hate you.”
*
Katie’s an awesome girlfriend. She gives him a hard time far too much for his liking, but he knows that it’s her standard position to behave like a second grader with a crush and just mock him. He deals because she’s pretty and funny about everything that doesn’t include picking on him and he likes that she gives him a run for his money on the field. Not to mention that she’s a pretty damned good kisser, and he likes the feel of her hugging him back, and she has a car.
Not like that’s the most important thing. But at seventeen without one of his own - When you graduate, his dad had promised, and it couldn’t come soon enough - it helped that his girlfriend, who thought he was just as awesome, was willing to drive him places.
When they pulled up in front of his mom’s house, Josie threw the door open and waved before he could even get out of the car. He met her on the porch, tugging her up into a messy hug and kiss, playfully shucking her around even when his mom came towards them and harped on him. “Nathan, she’s not a ragdoll.”
He rung his arms around her shoulders and pulled her around playfully. “Surely looks like it to me.” He looked down on Josie, long, dark, shiny hair getting in her face and he pushed it out of the way. “Mama feedin’ you? Or they keeping you in the basement?”
His mom smacked him on the shoulder and gave a sharp look. “I’m not sure I like you hangin’ with your dad so much.”
Nathan smirked, used to the joke that his attitude had degenerated since living with his dad and Jensen, but his dad always argued that it was the better personality anyway. “I’ll have her back in time for the party. Don’t worry.”
“She’s with you, I will,” his mom said with a smile then looked beyond him. “Who’s driving?”
He tensed for a moment. “Katie.”
Her eyebrow went up and it was dangerously close to another parental unit that he shivered for a moment, not liking how much he knew their eyebrows. “Katie?”
“Yeah. And you’re wasting my time. We’re off!” he shouted with a smirk, leading Josie down the stairs and to the car.
*
“Which one?”
“Umm,” Josie said around the edge of her fingernail, in between bites.
“Hey, no,” Nathan reprimanded while lightly tapping at her hand. “If you’re hungry we’ll get you food.”
She frowned and pursed her lips. “’M not hungry. Thinking!”
“Okay, okay,” he chuckled, rolling his eyes and pointing back at the shelf. “Which one you like?”
“It’s not that.”
“Then what?”
“Which one he’s gonna like?”
He swiped a hand over her head. “I dunno, pumpkin. You gotta pick it out. That’s your job.”
“What about the pink one?” Katie asked and Nathan glared at her, and then she laughed and shrugged. “What? He has a lotta pink.”
Nathan rolled his eyes again. “Which ones do you like so far?”
“Umm, I liked the black one. And the blue. Then the cream.”
He tsked. “Jos, you can only get one.”
“Why?”
“Because.”
“But I like them all.”
He sighed and waited for her to decide.
“The cream one has his name on it. But the black one is cuter.”
“Okay,” he said in a leading tone.
“I like them both.”
“You can only get one,” he repeated.
“Mama bought him more than one present.”
“Mama has more money than I do.”
Josie inhaled sharply then released the breath on a huffy sigh, like she always did, and he didn’t care if she was going to be nine, she was a pain in his ass sometimes.
*
Back at his house, Katie unearthed their shopping bags and opened the wrapping paper. But it was Nathan who stood behind Josie, lining up the shirt and tissue paper in a box then closing it. He went on to help her center the package on the paper and they worked together to tack the ends down and then he presented the bow to her, flared in both his hands as he bowed before her.
Josie giggled and tapped him on the head. “Nathan! We can’t use this bow!”
“Why not?”
“It don’t match!”
“It’s close,” he argued. “Dad’s not gonna care that it’s not perfect.”
“But it should be.”
He pursed his lips and looked to Katie.
“Don’t look at me,” Katie murmured as she turned to the fridge for a soda.
“Jos, it’ll be fine.”
She pouted a perfect, petulant, little girl frown, but he wasn’t deterred. He stared down on her with an exaggerated stern face until she started laughing. At him, he was sure, but he allowed it. Josie snagged the bow from his hands, peeled off the backing then smacked it right to the middle of the package. She beamed at him, obviously ignoring how the box was now dented to the tune of a tiny fist, but she was proud. And he kind of was, too.
*
His dad had been bugging them for weeks about a party. He was turning forty and demanded his due attention. Nathan and Jensen always shook their heads and rolled eyes, but Nathan wasn’t surprised when Jensen told him in secret that they’d have some people over and barbeque. Nothing big, but enough to make him happy.
And when his dad walked through the door, caught the smattering of friends and family, his grin was the widest and brightest Nathan could remember seeing in a long, long while. And considering how much his dad and Jensen goofed around, and how much laughter was always heard in the house, this grin was a pretty big deal.
If possible, it got even larger when it came time for presents. When his dad picked up the pink square box, the one with the crater and dented bow, he chuckled. “Whose is this one?”
Josie split between people and legs and appeared at his side. “Mine! We wrapped it today.”
His dad gave a total Aww sound as he pulled her close then up into his lap. “You gonna help me unwrap.”
“No! It’s yours. You unwrap it.”
He chuckled against her hair. “Okay, how about you watch?” She nodded and he rested his chin on her head. As he slid fingers around to pull the paper away, Nathan couldn’t stop watching, rapt attention broken for just a second when Katie leaned into him and slid her hand around his.
Nathan squeezed back but kept watching his dad, almost as anxious about this moment as he was for his own present to be opened five or so minutes ago. Which was a success; his dad totally loved the concert DVD and Brookstone 12-in-1 survival tool, meant more as a joke because Nathan and Jensen were convinced that his dad couldn’t survive more than ten minutes in a stalled car.
His dad pulled the graphic tee out, smiling at the old time gas station design with the words JT’s Service Station. He hugged Josie and kissed the top of her head. “You did good, babygirl.”
She squirmed in his lap and turned up onto knees to hug him back. Arms tight around his neck and voice loud in his ear, “Nathan took me. We got it at the Big Target and then he took me for pizza.”
Nathan felt it then, with his dad fondly looking at him over Josie’s head. That not only did he do his father good, but his little sister, too.
“What’re you doing for my dad’s birthday?”
Jensen looked over his shoulder for a second then went back to the dishes. “Haven’t really talked about it. Why?”
“I mean, you were gonna get him outta the house for lunch or whatever,” Nathan said with an uneven shrug. “You doing that, right?”
“It’s possible. What’s up?”
“Nothing.”
Again, Jensen looked over his shoulder. “You for real, kid?”
“What?”
He chuckled and shook his head. “What d’you want?”
“Why do you always think I’m wanting something? Maybe I’m just full of wonder.”
“Full of something,” Jensen mumbled.
“Just making sure you’re doing right by my dad. You know, take him out, remind me he’s still pretty after all these years.”
Jensen made a sudden pfft noise and fumbled a dish into the sink. They both looked guilty with the clattering of ceramic against metal. Then he frowned when he pulled the plate out and even Nathan tsked at the chip.
“Man, Dad’s gonna strangle you.”
“Is not.”
“Is, too. That’s his favorite dish.”
Jensen rolled his eyes.
“This is why we can’t have nice things.”
“Shut up!” Jensen yelled back, less with the heat and more with the humor. “What d’you want? Stop bugging me and just say it.”
Nathan chuckled. “Okay, fine. If you go out with my dad, can you take your car?”
“What the heck for?” he shot back with a twisted smile.
“I was gonna -”
“Use his,” Jensen said with Nathan. “Nice try, kiddo. He’ll break your wrist before you get near it.”
“C’mon, seriously?” he whined. “I just wanted to -”
“Joy ride? Yeah, Happy Birthday Jared. Nathan crashed the car.”
Nathan huffed and even stomped a foot. “I can drive fine! I’d drive better if you guys let me drive.”
“Stop crying, Nathan. It’s unattractive.”
He rolled his eyes and left the room, yanking his phone out immediately and dialing Katie.
“Hey, stranger!” she harped.
“Shuddup. It’s been two days,” he mumbled before charging into what he wanted. “Think you can handle a shopping day with me?”
“I think I can.”
“Really?” he asked with a high voice that he hoped she’d ignore.
“Question is whether I really want to.”
“God, it’s like everyone’s against me today.”
“Oh, no, Nathan. Not just today.”
“Whatever. I hate you.”
*
Katie’s an awesome girlfriend. She gives him a hard time far too much for his liking, but he knows that it’s her standard position to behave like a second grader with a crush and just mock him. He deals because she’s pretty and funny about everything that doesn’t include picking on him and he likes that she gives him a run for his money on the field. Not to mention that she’s a pretty damned good kisser, and he likes the feel of her hugging him back, and she has a car.
Not like that’s the most important thing. But at seventeen without one of his own - When you graduate, his dad had promised, and it couldn’t come soon enough - it helped that his girlfriend, who thought he was just as awesome, was willing to drive him places.
When they pulled up in front of his mom’s house, Josie threw the door open and waved before he could even get out of the car. He met her on the porch, tugging her up into a messy hug and kiss, playfully shucking her around even when his mom came towards them and harped on him. “Nathan, she’s not a ragdoll.”
He rung his arms around her shoulders and pulled her around playfully. “Surely looks like it to me.” He looked down on Josie, long, dark, shiny hair getting in her face and he pushed it out of the way. “Mama feedin’ you? Or they keeping you in the basement?”
His mom smacked him on the shoulder and gave a sharp look. “I’m not sure I like you hangin’ with your dad so much.”
Nathan smirked, used to the joke that his attitude had degenerated since living with his dad and Jensen, but his dad always argued that it was the better personality anyway. “I’ll have her back in time for the party. Don’t worry.”
“She’s with you, I will,” his mom said with a smile then looked beyond him. “Who’s driving?”
He tensed for a moment. “Katie.”
Her eyebrow went up and it was dangerously close to another parental unit that he shivered for a moment, not liking how much he knew their eyebrows. “Katie?”
“Yeah. And you’re wasting my time. We’re off!” he shouted with a smirk, leading Josie down the stairs and to the car.
*
“Which one?”
“Umm,” Josie said around the edge of her fingernail, in between bites.
“Hey, no,” Nathan reprimanded while lightly tapping at her hand. “If you’re hungry we’ll get you food.”
She frowned and pursed her lips. “’M not hungry. Thinking!”
“Okay, okay,” he chuckled, rolling his eyes and pointing back at the shelf. “Which one you like?”
“It’s not that.”
“Then what?”
“Which one he’s gonna like?”
He swiped a hand over her head. “I dunno, pumpkin. You gotta pick it out. That’s your job.”
“What about the pink one?” Katie asked and Nathan glared at her, and then she laughed and shrugged. “What? He has a lotta pink.”
Nathan rolled his eyes again. “Which ones do you like so far?”
“Umm, I liked the black one. And the blue. Then the cream.”
He tsked. “Jos, you can only get one.”
“Why?”
“Because.”
“But I like them all.”
He sighed and waited for her to decide.
“The cream one has his name on it. But the black one is cuter.”
“Okay,” he said in a leading tone.
“I like them both.”
“You can only get one,” he repeated.
“Mama bought him more than one present.”
“Mama has more money than I do.”
Josie inhaled sharply then released the breath on a huffy sigh, like she always did, and he didn’t care if she was going to be nine, she was a pain in his ass sometimes.
*
Back at his house, Katie unearthed their shopping bags and opened the wrapping paper. But it was Nathan who stood behind Josie, lining up the shirt and tissue paper in a box then closing it. He went on to help her center the package on the paper and they worked together to tack the ends down and then he presented the bow to her, flared in both his hands as he bowed before her.
Josie giggled and tapped him on the head. “Nathan! We can’t use this bow!”
“Why not?”
“It don’t match!”
“It’s close,” he argued. “Dad’s not gonna care that it’s not perfect.”
“But it should be.”
He pursed his lips and looked to Katie.
“Don’t look at me,” Katie murmured as she turned to the fridge for a soda.
“Jos, it’ll be fine.”
She pouted a perfect, petulant, little girl frown, but he wasn’t deterred. He stared down on her with an exaggerated stern face until she started laughing. At him, he was sure, but he allowed it. Josie snagged the bow from his hands, peeled off the backing then smacked it right to the middle of the package. She beamed at him, obviously ignoring how the box was now dented to the tune of a tiny fist, but she was proud. And he kind of was, too.
*
His dad had been bugging them for weeks about a party. He was turning forty and demanded his due attention. Nathan and Jensen always shook their heads and rolled eyes, but Nathan wasn’t surprised when Jensen told him in secret that they’d have some people over and barbeque. Nothing big, but enough to make him happy.
And when his dad walked through the door, caught the smattering of friends and family, his grin was the widest and brightest Nathan could remember seeing in a long, long while. And considering how much his dad and Jensen goofed around, and how much laughter was always heard in the house, this grin was a pretty big deal.
If possible, it got even larger when it came time for presents. When his dad picked up the pink square box, the one with the crater and dented bow, he chuckled. “Whose is this one?”
Josie split between people and legs and appeared at his side. “Mine! We wrapped it today.”
His dad gave a total Aww sound as he pulled her close then up into his lap. “You gonna help me unwrap.”
“No! It’s yours. You unwrap it.”
He chuckled against her hair. “Okay, how about you watch?” She nodded and he rested his chin on her head. As he slid fingers around to pull the paper away, Nathan couldn’t stop watching, rapt attention broken for just a second when Katie leaned into him and slid her hand around his.
Nathan squeezed back but kept watching his dad, almost as anxious about this moment as he was for his own present to be opened five or so minutes ago. Which was a success; his dad totally loved the concert DVD and Brookstone 12-in-1 survival tool, meant more as a joke because Nathan and Jensen were convinced that his dad couldn’t survive more than ten minutes in a stalled car.
His dad pulled the graphic tee out, smiling at the old time gas station design with the words JT’s Service Station. He hugged Josie and kissed the top of her head. “You did good, babygirl.”
She squirmed in his lap and turned up onto knees to hug him back. Arms tight around his neck and voice loud in his ear, “Nathan took me. We got it at the Big Target and then he took me for pizza.”
Nathan felt it then, with his dad fondly looking at him over Josie’s head. That not only did he do his father good, but his little sister, too.