Baby, Just Hold On - Chp. 18
Title: Baby, Just Hold On
Author: Jamie jamieall_over
Pairing: Jalex
Rating: NC-17 Overall
Warnings: Mpreg
The first night home was a Hell of a lot harder than either man could've anticipated. Sure, they knew babies woke up a lot during the night to be fed, but no one had told them that it'd be every two fucking hours. It was bad when one of them woke up, but when they both did?
Alex's first full day home was spent with each of them taking turns watching the babies while the other would attempt to catch up on the hours they'd lost the previous night. Jack even had to bring the garbage out twice, what with the fact that both babies used more diapers than they'd planned for. Funny, they'd thought Derek Sanders was merely fucking with them when he'd said that their gifted supplies would only last no more than a month.
The next night was slightly better, both men's bodies completely ready to wake up every small handful of hours. By the third night, however, they even had a system sort of worked out, and everything seemed to flow a lot smoother.
When one baby would wake up, consequently waking the other, both men would jolt awake as well (causing Cocoa, previously snuggled somewhere against Alex just like Jack, would jump from the sheets and shoot under the bed in an attempt to escape the disturbance), arms reaching out in an almost perfect unison to click on the lamps situated either side of the bed.
Jack would help Alex sit up in bed before reaching first for Ashley in the crib on his side of the bed and handing the infant to his husband. He'd then stand and groggily making his way around to the other side of the mattress, repeating his previous actions with their daughter.
With both babies being cradled and hushed by their daddy in the bedroom, baba would stumble his way through the darkened apartment towards the kitchen. Pre-made bottles were pulled from the fridge and heated in the microwave, Jack then squeezing a bit from each onto his wrist to test the temperature (sometimes grumbling under his breath about the contents of the bottle being either too hot or too cold). When he was satisfied with his work, the journey back to the bedroom would begin, Ashley and Perspicacity still screaming and crying away with Alex himself looking like he was close to tears. He was still so tired, and it was all just so much.
One bottle would be placed on the nightstand beside Alex's bed, and then Ashley would be scooped up into Jack's arms, Alex immediately readjusting Perspicacity in his hold and picking the bottle on the table back up. Neither man hesitated in bringing the nipple of the bottle to their child's mouth, and the near-silence that followed was beautiful.
The gentle slurps and slight grunts made as the twins filled their empty tummies would almost be enough to lull either father back to sleep, and the only thing that kept them alert would be the hiccups signaling that it was time to be burped.
One baby (usually being Perspicacity, fully and proudly living up to the title baba had given her as 'daddy's little piggy') would finish first. Since Alex only had her to tend to, he'd place the empty bottle back on his side table, rub his fingers in light circles against her stomach-something he learned caused her odds of throwing up to decrease when being burped-before holding her against his chest and patting her back, then placing her back in her crib and standing to walk across the room to grab the diaper bag hanging from the bathroom door.
It would be lugged back to the bed and plopped onto the foot before Perspicacity, having already fallen back asleep, would be picked up yet again. Alex would have to climb back onto his and Jack's bed, and at about that time, Ashley would be getting done with his bottle.
Jack would put the boy on the bed in front of his own body, in a way that would match his daughter's position, then lean over to pull the diaper bag a little closer so that it sat between the two babies.
The diaper changing was admittedly the easiest part of their routine, what with the fact that both infants were too tired to protest in anyway. Sometimes one of them didn't even need to be changed, and that never failed to be a relief.
Whoever finished changing their designated baby's diaper first would place said child back into their own crib. They'd grab the used bottles as their partner finished up and bring them out into the kitchen. By the time they'd return, both babies would be asleep, the diaper bag would be hung from the bathroom door handle, and their husband would be waiting to wrap his partner in his arms.
As soon as the lights were clicked out and both men were pressed snugly against each other, Cocoa would crawl out from under the bed and pounce back up, resuming her previous position as though nothing had disturbed the small family's sleep in the first place.
--- ---
"Uncle Jacky!" May's son, AJ, squealed as he charged full-speed through the door that had been just barely opened. Jack took a moment to thank whatever God had made his nephew short enough to not somehow hit him where the sun doesn't shine as a tiny body crashed into his legs.
There was only a moment of mild uneasiness as Jack had to somehow steady himself with nothing to grab onto but the door so as to not hurt his five-year-old sidekick, but as soon as he was stood firmly on his feet again, he grinned down at the boy smiling cheekily up at him, chubby arms wrapped as tightly around his legs as they could manage.
"AJ!" Jack exclaimed just as enthusiastically, hands swooping down to scoop the boy up by his underarms, lifting him high into the air before pressing an overly exaggerated, wet kiss to a fat cheek. He was lowered as he giggled and did his best to wipe his skin clean, Jack's forearms holding him up by his butt.
At about the same moment, both boys heard their names being stated, low and warning, and they turned toward the respective voices, innocence clouding their features. Alex and May, both stood on opposite ends of the tangled boys, were giving them the same look, the one that said Behave.
AJ was the first to swivel his little head back around, and then he was whispering (almost a little too loudly for it to even be considered whispering), "Mama said that, um... that I have cousins now, so I gotta be quiet." A stubby finger was lifted to thin lips before he made a 'sh' noise, only a few droplets of saliva hitting Jack square in the face.
The young man brushed it off, however-he'd gotten used to things like that happening long ago-and proceeded to whisper right on back, "Mama's right. You wanna go see them? They're sleeping right now, so you gotta be as quiet as a ninja."
AJ, whose favorite heroes just so happened to be the Ninja Turtles, lit up and nodded his head eagerly, his dark hair flopping around and successfully slapping Jack in the face.
"Cool. Here, go say hi to Uncle Alex and he'll bring you in to see them, alright? Be careful with him because he's still very tired and has boo-boos on his tummy. And see that kitty down there by his feet?" Jack shifted his head in the general direction, and AJ's blue eyes, one of the few things he'd acquired from his father, darted over to see the elusive cat before they widened in wonder. When he nodded, Jack continued. "That's Cocoa, Uncle Alex's kitty, and she's just a baby, too. You gotta be real gentle with her, okay? Don't pick her up and don't run because she might get scared and scratch you."
The excitement that had been present on the boy's face had quickly melted into an expression that showed he'd heard and understood, eyes serious and little mouth just barely hanging open.
Jack, after setting another sloppy kiss that got the giggly little boy back, placed him on the ground and turned to watch him make his way towards Alex, who crouched down and spread his arms wide. AJ eyed Cocoa warily as he moved towards the two before completely disregarding Jack's warning of Alex's injuries and throwing himself at the man, nearly shrieking as he was squeezed and smothered in even more cheek kisses by his elder uncle.
"I missed you so much, buddy!" Alex said when AJ's tiny hands pushed playfully at his face to get him to cease his mini assault. "When was the last time mama drove you out here so that we could have a sleepover?"
"I dunno, but I missed you, too, Uncle Alex," AJ answered, smiling cutely. Alex grinned back before standing to his feet and holding out his hand for his nephew to take. As the pair (including Cocoa) made their way from the front hall and into the living room where both babies were asleep in their carriers, Jack turned to May. She was still stood in front of the doorway, loving smile on her lips as she watched her son and brother-in-law disappear around the corner.
"Hey, little bro," she finally giggled out, stepping forward to envelop Jack in a tight hug, "long time no see."
"I know. If someone hadn't moved all the way up to New York..." Jack trailed out teasingly, not slackening his hold around her. His sister was one person he connected with almost as well as he connected with Alex, and he really had missed her.
"You know I had to," she answered, finally pulling away. "Being a single mom means I've gotta go where the most jobs are. If there were more things to do that paid better out here, I'd move back faster than you can blink."
Jack sighed but nodded. He did understand where she was coming from with that, he honestly did. He really wished it wasn't like that, but May's deadbeat of an ex had left as soon as he found out she was pregnant. When she heard that Alex was pregnant, she threatened Jack by saying that if he even thought of leaving, she'd completely cut off all contact. Not that Jack would've left to begin with.
“Oh! I know I couldn't make it to the baby shower or Christmas a few months back, and I really couldn't figure out what to get you or Alex, so I just went to the baby department at Target and picked up, like, two of everything. I know you'll need it.” She pointed to a bag, big enough to fit at least five bowling balls, that had been placed by the door, and Jack didn't hesitate to wrap her up in his arms once more.
"Come on," he said, pepping up a bit and tugging gently at his sister's arm after they'd parted once more, "you gotta finally meet your niece and nephew."
She grinned right back and let her brother tug her along, but both of them stopped when they were stood in the doorway to the living room. A hushed, "Aw," fell from May's lips as she reached for her phone, pulling it out from her back pocket and immediately opening up the camera app.
Inside the living room, on the coffee table, sat two carriers. One was blue while the other was pink, each holding a small, sleeping baby. Stood on the ground between them were AJ and Alex. The man was crouched down as he'd been before, but now his right hand was holding his body up by the edge of the table as his left lay against AJ's side. He was whispering away to the little boy, and if the other two parents listened closely enough, they could hear what was being said.
"... and you're gonna have to teach them all sorts of things, like how to write their name and ride a bike and-"
"And color in the lines?" AJ whispered, to which Alex nodded.
"Yep, all sorts of things. Do you think you'll be the right person for the job?" Alex asked, turning and quirking a questioning eyebrow, something that never failed to get the young boy giggling.
AJ seemed honored with the thought as he nodded his little head. Then Alex was facing the babies once more.
"You wanna hold them?" he asked. AJ seemed hesitant but nodded again after a moment's deliberation. "Sit up on the couch, all the way back with your arm on the armrest, okay? Who do you wanna hold first?"
"I... I, um..." AJ stuttered, eyes flicking between the sleeping infants. He didn't want to show favoritism, not when he'd only just met them.
May turned to Jack, sliding her phone back into its previous position. "Alex is always so good with him. He's going to make a fantastic dad, and I don't think I could've picked a better godfather. You really got a great one, baby bro," she observed, feeling genuinely proud of how Jack had turned out. It was all because of her guidance, of course. With that, she was stepping fully into the room and sitting on the couch, the end opposite of her own son. "I think I wanna hold Ashley first. You want to hold Perspicacity, munchkin?"
AJ grinned, relieved that he didn't have to make the decision, and Jack walked over to help get his baby boy from the carrier, being careful in handing him over to May while Alex sat next to AJ and passed their daughter over to their nephew.
"Put your arm there, and... just like that,"Alex instructed, though he kept his right hand laid along his baby's side as an extra precaution. "Isn't she tiny?" he murmured, thumb sweeping back and forth over the blanket that was wrapped around her.
"She's kinda heavy," AJ observed nonchalantly, shrugging his shoulders. His eyes didn't leave her face as he spoke. All of the adults laughed at the young boy's admission, though, and then he couldn't help but glance up. "What's so funny? I wanna laugh."
"Well, if she's kinda heavy, then I must be really fat, huh? Uncle Jacky and mama, too."
AJ's eyes widened, and he shook his head. "No, Uncle Alex, no!" he exclaimed, and it was mere moments before there was the sound of crying coming from the infant in his arms. The boy looked horror-stricken and panicked, totally unsure about what he should do, before Alex reached out and scooped her up into his own arms.
Quieting the baby down took about five minutes, but Ashley had woken up and started to cry in that time as well. AJ no longer appeared terrified by what had happened, though, and instead looked close to tears himself. Scooting a little closer to Alex, he placed a hand on the eldest man's thigh and shook gently, trying to get his attention without making any more of a scene than he had.
Alex looked over from where he was 'sh'-ing his baby girl and to his nephew. "What's up, buddy?" he asked, and even though he didn't sound upset in the slightest, AJ just looked closer to bawling his eyes out.
"I'm real sorry, Uncle Alex," he apologized, bottom lip quivering and blue eyes glazing. Alex could feel his heart break as he pouted right on back.
Turning to Jack, who still stood next to May while doing his best to completely relax their son once more, Alex called him over and held out the baby girl. When his hands were free, his attention was right back on AJ, who had started to sniffle and make small hiccuping noises.
Alex could see that his nephew really hadn't meant to wake up his cousins, and he knew how bad he felt. He'd been told numerous times by not one, but three adults, that he had to be 'quiet as a ninja' so that they wouldn't wake up, and he'd gone and woken them up anyway.
Reaching out, Alex scooped AJ into his own arms, placing the fragile child into his lap and wrapping his strong arms around the tiny body. They swayed back and forth for a few moments, AJ's head leaned against his uncle's chest, and then Alex pressed a kiss to the top of his dark hair.
"You don't gotta cry, y'know. I'm not mad-" he started, but then his nephew was shaking his head.
"You're mad at me," he whimpered in disagreement, a shaky breath causing his chest to quake before the tears finally started to flow.
"I'm not mad," Alex said again, tone low and gentle. "Accidents happen, right? You didn't mean it, buddy. It's okay. No one's mad at you. I promise."
"Promise?" AJ whimpered.
"Promise."
There was silence in the room then, and it was after AJ reached up to wipe his face that it was finally broken. "And I can still teach them how to color in the lines?" he asked, looking up at his uncle, blue eyes still shiny from his previously shed tears.
"I wouldn't want anyone else showing them how to," Alex agreed, and AJ smiled. "Now how about you hold Ashley?"
Hours ticked by like that, the adults talking and laughing while AJ held either baby, sometimes taking a break from the infants to gently pet Cocoa. He was even allowed to feed Perspicacity-or Persicatcity, as he pronounced it-but politely refused to change Ashley's diaper.
When May eventually decided it was about time for them to be getting home at about six o'clock that night, what with the near three hour long journey that awaited her and her tired son, Alex couldn't help but pout. He really did enjoy spending time with his nephew, and ever since he'd gotten pregnant, they'd hardly been able to see each other. With the spare room now being the babies' room, those visits would be even less. He did, of course, realize that AJ would more often than not end up sleeping in his and Jack's bed with them due to the fact that there was a TV and DVD player in their room, but still. With the babies waking up every few hours, there's no way they'd also be able to handle throwing a tired five-year-old in the mix.
The goodbye was dragged out for as long as physically possible, more cheek kissing and hugging and promises of future sleepovers, before the eldest Barakat and her son walked through the front door once more.
Alex let out a sad, little sigh as he turned and walked back into the living room, falling onto the couch. His pout vanished when he saw his angels, asleep in their respective carriers yet again. That smile grew even bigger when Jack appeared next to him, pulling their bodies together and kissing everywhere he could reach.
"May says she's glad she picked you as a godfather," he mumbled into the elder's neck, lips pressing there innocently. They still had over five weeks before they would be able to have sex again.
"Yeah?" Alex asked, turning his head enough to signal he wanted an actual kiss. He tried to appear casual with that one word, but it was hard. He liked knowing that someone was happy with choosing him to watch their child in case something bad ever happened.
Jack hummed, pecking puckered lips sweetly. "She said that she doesn't think she could've possibly picked anyone better."
And, really, Alex couldn't be sad after learning something like that.
Author: Jamie jamieall_over
Pairing: Jalex
Rating: NC-17 Overall
Warnings: Mpreg
The first night home was a Hell of a lot harder than either man could've anticipated. Sure, they knew babies woke up a lot during the night to be fed, but no one had told them that it'd be every two fucking hours. It was bad when one of them woke up, but when they both did?
Alex's first full day home was spent with each of them taking turns watching the babies while the other would attempt to catch up on the hours they'd lost the previous night. Jack even had to bring the garbage out twice, what with the fact that both babies used more diapers than they'd planned for. Funny, they'd thought Derek Sanders was merely fucking with them when he'd said that their gifted supplies would only last no more than a month.
The next night was slightly better, both men's bodies completely ready to wake up every small handful of hours. By the third night, however, they even had a system sort of worked out, and everything seemed to flow a lot smoother.
When one baby would wake up, consequently waking the other, both men would jolt awake as well (causing Cocoa, previously snuggled somewhere against Alex just like Jack, would jump from the sheets and shoot under the bed in an attempt to escape the disturbance), arms reaching out in an almost perfect unison to click on the lamps situated either side of the bed.
Jack would help Alex sit up in bed before reaching first for Ashley in the crib on his side of the bed and handing the infant to his husband. He'd then stand and groggily making his way around to the other side of the mattress, repeating his previous actions with their daughter.
With both babies being cradled and hushed by their daddy in the bedroom, baba would stumble his way through the darkened apartment towards the kitchen. Pre-made bottles were pulled from the fridge and heated in the microwave, Jack then squeezing a bit from each onto his wrist to test the temperature (sometimes grumbling under his breath about the contents of the bottle being either too hot or too cold). When he was satisfied with his work, the journey back to the bedroom would begin, Ashley and Perspicacity still screaming and crying away with Alex himself looking like he was close to tears. He was still so tired, and it was all just so much.
One bottle would be placed on the nightstand beside Alex's bed, and then Ashley would be scooped up into Jack's arms, Alex immediately readjusting Perspicacity in his hold and picking the bottle on the table back up. Neither man hesitated in bringing the nipple of the bottle to their child's mouth, and the near-silence that followed was beautiful.
The gentle slurps and slight grunts made as the twins filled their empty tummies would almost be enough to lull either father back to sleep, and the only thing that kept them alert would be the hiccups signaling that it was time to be burped.
One baby (usually being Perspicacity, fully and proudly living up to the title baba had given her as 'daddy's little piggy') would finish first. Since Alex only had her to tend to, he'd place the empty bottle back on his side table, rub his fingers in light circles against her stomach-something he learned caused her odds of throwing up to decrease when being burped-before holding her against his chest and patting her back, then placing her back in her crib and standing to walk across the room to grab the diaper bag hanging from the bathroom door.
It would be lugged back to the bed and plopped onto the foot before Perspicacity, having already fallen back asleep, would be picked up yet again. Alex would have to climb back onto his and Jack's bed, and at about that time, Ashley would be getting done with his bottle.
Jack would put the boy on the bed in front of his own body, in a way that would match his daughter's position, then lean over to pull the diaper bag a little closer so that it sat between the two babies.
The diaper changing was admittedly the easiest part of their routine, what with the fact that both infants were too tired to protest in anyway. Sometimes one of them didn't even need to be changed, and that never failed to be a relief.
Whoever finished changing their designated baby's diaper first would place said child back into their own crib. They'd grab the used bottles as their partner finished up and bring them out into the kitchen. By the time they'd return, both babies would be asleep, the diaper bag would be hung from the bathroom door handle, and their husband would be waiting to wrap his partner in his arms.
As soon as the lights were clicked out and both men were pressed snugly against each other, Cocoa would crawl out from under the bed and pounce back up, resuming her previous position as though nothing had disturbed the small family's sleep in the first place.
--- ---
"Uncle Jacky!" May's son, AJ, squealed as he charged full-speed through the door that had been just barely opened. Jack took a moment to thank whatever God had made his nephew short enough to not somehow hit him where the sun doesn't shine as a tiny body crashed into his legs.
There was only a moment of mild uneasiness as Jack had to somehow steady himself with nothing to grab onto but the door so as to not hurt his five-year-old sidekick, but as soon as he was stood firmly on his feet again, he grinned down at the boy smiling cheekily up at him, chubby arms wrapped as tightly around his legs as they could manage.
"AJ!" Jack exclaimed just as enthusiastically, hands swooping down to scoop the boy up by his underarms, lifting him high into the air before pressing an overly exaggerated, wet kiss to a fat cheek. He was lowered as he giggled and did his best to wipe his skin clean, Jack's forearms holding him up by his butt.
At about the same moment, both boys heard their names being stated, low and warning, and they turned toward the respective voices, innocence clouding their features. Alex and May, both stood on opposite ends of the tangled boys, were giving them the same look, the one that said Behave.
AJ was the first to swivel his little head back around, and then he was whispering (almost a little too loudly for it to even be considered whispering), "Mama said that, um... that I have cousins now, so I gotta be quiet." A stubby finger was lifted to thin lips before he made a 'sh' noise, only a few droplets of saliva hitting Jack square in the face.
The young man brushed it off, however-he'd gotten used to things like that happening long ago-and proceeded to whisper right on back, "Mama's right. You wanna go see them? They're sleeping right now, so you gotta be as quiet as a ninja."
AJ, whose favorite heroes just so happened to be the Ninja Turtles, lit up and nodded his head eagerly, his dark hair flopping around and successfully slapping Jack in the face.
"Cool. Here, go say hi to Uncle Alex and he'll bring you in to see them, alright? Be careful with him because he's still very tired and has boo-boos on his tummy. And see that kitty down there by his feet?" Jack shifted his head in the general direction, and AJ's blue eyes, one of the few things he'd acquired from his father, darted over to see the elusive cat before they widened in wonder. When he nodded, Jack continued. "That's Cocoa, Uncle Alex's kitty, and she's just a baby, too. You gotta be real gentle with her, okay? Don't pick her up and don't run because she might get scared and scratch you."
The excitement that had been present on the boy's face had quickly melted into an expression that showed he'd heard and understood, eyes serious and little mouth just barely hanging open.
Jack, after setting another sloppy kiss that got the giggly little boy back, placed him on the ground and turned to watch him make his way towards Alex, who crouched down and spread his arms wide. AJ eyed Cocoa warily as he moved towards the two before completely disregarding Jack's warning of Alex's injuries and throwing himself at the man, nearly shrieking as he was squeezed and smothered in even more cheek kisses by his elder uncle.
"I missed you so much, buddy!" Alex said when AJ's tiny hands pushed playfully at his face to get him to cease his mini assault. "When was the last time mama drove you out here so that we could have a sleepover?"
"I dunno, but I missed you, too, Uncle Alex," AJ answered, smiling cutely. Alex grinned back before standing to his feet and holding out his hand for his nephew to take. As the pair (including Cocoa) made their way from the front hall and into the living room where both babies were asleep in their carriers, Jack turned to May. She was still stood in front of the doorway, loving smile on her lips as she watched her son and brother-in-law disappear around the corner.
"Hey, little bro," she finally giggled out, stepping forward to envelop Jack in a tight hug, "long time no see."
"I know. If someone hadn't moved all the way up to New York..." Jack trailed out teasingly, not slackening his hold around her. His sister was one person he connected with almost as well as he connected with Alex, and he really had missed her.
"You know I had to," she answered, finally pulling away. "Being a single mom means I've gotta go where the most jobs are. If there were more things to do that paid better out here, I'd move back faster than you can blink."
Jack sighed but nodded. He did understand where she was coming from with that, he honestly did. He really wished it wasn't like that, but May's deadbeat of an ex had left as soon as he found out she was pregnant. When she heard that Alex was pregnant, she threatened Jack by saying that if he even thought of leaving, she'd completely cut off all contact. Not that Jack would've left to begin with.
“Oh! I know I couldn't make it to the baby shower or Christmas a few months back, and I really couldn't figure out what to get you or Alex, so I just went to the baby department at Target and picked up, like, two of everything. I know you'll need it.” She pointed to a bag, big enough to fit at least five bowling balls, that had been placed by the door, and Jack didn't hesitate to wrap her up in his arms once more.
"Come on," he said, pepping up a bit and tugging gently at his sister's arm after they'd parted once more, "you gotta finally meet your niece and nephew."
She grinned right back and let her brother tug her along, but both of them stopped when they were stood in the doorway to the living room. A hushed, "Aw," fell from May's lips as she reached for her phone, pulling it out from her back pocket and immediately opening up the camera app.
Inside the living room, on the coffee table, sat two carriers. One was blue while the other was pink, each holding a small, sleeping baby. Stood on the ground between them were AJ and Alex. The man was crouched down as he'd been before, but now his right hand was holding his body up by the edge of the table as his left lay against AJ's side. He was whispering away to the little boy, and if the other two parents listened closely enough, they could hear what was being said.
"... and you're gonna have to teach them all sorts of things, like how to write their name and ride a bike and-"
"And color in the lines?" AJ whispered, to which Alex nodded.
"Yep, all sorts of things. Do you think you'll be the right person for the job?" Alex asked, turning and quirking a questioning eyebrow, something that never failed to get the young boy giggling.
AJ seemed honored with the thought as he nodded his little head. Then Alex was facing the babies once more.
"You wanna hold them?" he asked. AJ seemed hesitant but nodded again after a moment's deliberation. "Sit up on the couch, all the way back with your arm on the armrest, okay? Who do you wanna hold first?"
"I... I, um..." AJ stuttered, eyes flicking between the sleeping infants. He didn't want to show favoritism, not when he'd only just met them.
May turned to Jack, sliding her phone back into its previous position. "Alex is always so good with him. He's going to make a fantastic dad, and I don't think I could've picked a better godfather. You really got a great one, baby bro," she observed, feeling genuinely proud of how Jack had turned out. It was all because of her guidance, of course. With that, she was stepping fully into the room and sitting on the couch, the end opposite of her own son. "I think I wanna hold Ashley first. You want to hold Perspicacity, munchkin?"
AJ grinned, relieved that he didn't have to make the decision, and Jack walked over to help get his baby boy from the carrier, being careful in handing him over to May while Alex sat next to AJ and passed their daughter over to their nephew.
"Put your arm there, and... just like that,"Alex instructed, though he kept his right hand laid along his baby's side as an extra precaution. "Isn't she tiny?" he murmured, thumb sweeping back and forth over the blanket that was wrapped around her.
"She's kinda heavy," AJ observed nonchalantly, shrugging his shoulders. His eyes didn't leave her face as he spoke. All of the adults laughed at the young boy's admission, though, and then he couldn't help but glance up. "What's so funny? I wanna laugh."
"Well, if she's kinda heavy, then I must be really fat, huh? Uncle Jacky and mama, too."
AJ's eyes widened, and he shook his head. "No, Uncle Alex, no!" he exclaimed, and it was mere moments before there was the sound of crying coming from the infant in his arms. The boy looked horror-stricken and panicked, totally unsure about what he should do, before Alex reached out and scooped her up into his own arms.
Quieting the baby down took about five minutes, but Ashley had woken up and started to cry in that time as well. AJ no longer appeared terrified by what had happened, though, and instead looked close to tears himself. Scooting a little closer to Alex, he placed a hand on the eldest man's thigh and shook gently, trying to get his attention without making any more of a scene than he had.
Alex looked over from where he was 'sh'-ing his baby girl and to his nephew. "What's up, buddy?" he asked, and even though he didn't sound upset in the slightest, AJ just looked closer to bawling his eyes out.
"I'm real sorry, Uncle Alex," he apologized, bottom lip quivering and blue eyes glazing. Alex could feel his heart break as he pouted right on back.
Turning to Jack, who still stood next to May while doing his best to completely relax their son once more, Alex called him over and held out the baby girl. When his hands were free, his attention was right back on AJ, who had started to sniffle and make small hiccuping noises.
Alex could see that his nephew really hadn't meant to wake up his cousins, and he knew how bad he felt. He'd been told numerous times by not one, but three adults, that he had to be 'quiet as a ninja' so that they wouldn't wake up, and he'd gone and woken them up anyway.
Reaching out, Alex scooped AJ into his own arms, placing the fragile child into his lap and wrapping his strong arms around the tiny body. They swayed back and forth for a few moments, AJ's head leaned against his uncle's chest, and then Alex pressed a kiss to the top of his dark hair.
"You don't gotta cry, y'know. I'm not mad-" he started, but then his nephew was shaking his head.
"You're mad at me," he whimpered in disagreement, a shaky breath causing his chest to quake before the tears finally started to flow.
"I'm not mad," Alex said again, tone low and gentle. "Accidents happen, right? You didn't mean it, buddy. It's okay. No one's mad at you. I promise."
"Promise?" AJ whimpered.
"Promise."
There was silence in the room then, and it was after AJ reached up to wipe his face that it was finally broken. "And I can still teach them how to color in the lines?" he asked, looking up at his uncle, blue eyes still shiny from his previously shed tears.
"I wouldn't want anyone else showing them how to," Alex agreed, and AJ smiled. "Now how about you hold Ashley?"
Hours ticked by like that, the adults talking and laughing while AJ held either baby, sometimes taking a break from the infants to gently pet Cocoa. He was even allowed to feed Perspicacity-or Persicatcity, as he pronounced it-but politely refused to change Ashley's diaper.
When May eventually decided it was about time for them to be getting home at about six o'clock that night, what with the near three hour long journey that awaited her and her tired son, Alex couldn't help but pout. He really did enjoy spending time with his nephew, and ever since he'd gotten pregnant, they'd hardly been able to see each other. With the spare room now being the babies' room, those visits would be even less. He did, of course, realize that AJ would more often than not end up sleeping in his and Jack's bed with them due to the fact that there was a TV and DVD player in their room, but still. With the babies waking up every few hours, there's no way they'd also be able to handle throwing a tired five-year-old in the mix.
The goodbye was dragged out for as long as physically possible, more cheek kissing and hugging and promises of future sleepovers, before the eldest Barakat and her son walked through the front door once more.
Alex let out a sad, little sigh as he turned and walked back into the living room, falling onto the couch. His pout vanished when he saw his angels, asleep in their respective carriers yet again. That smile grew even bigger when Jack appeared next to him, pulling their bodies together and kissing everywhere he could reach.
"May says she's glad she picked you as a godfather," he mumbled into the elder's neck, lips pressing there innocently. They still had over five weeks before they would be able to have sex again.
"Yeah?" Alex asked, turning his head enough to signal he wanted an actual kiss. He tried to appear casual with that one word, but it was hard. He liked knowing that someone was happy with choosing him to watch their child in case something bad ever happened.
Jack hummed, pecking puckered lips sweetly. "She said that she doesn't think she could've possibly picked anyone better."
And, really, Alex couldn't be sad after learning something like that.