Nov 18, 2009 14:31
this fic....this fic is doing things to me. I just, in a thousand tiny ways, this fic it hurts and it comforts and it just...is. I can't explain how this chapter is making me feel things. There aren't proper words to convey these feelings!!!! I can't.
Instead, I'll hide some snippets behind a cut:
Neither of them had been home since last Christmas which had been the last time Nick had seen them, and Joe hadn’t seen their family since the funeral, so when they returned to the small, Jersey house it wasn’t necessarily with ease. Secret Service was with them, of course, surrounding the house with black SUV’s and men dressed to match and the two walked up with an escort of two agents each, and only after the others had secured the perimeter. Joe was about to knock when the door opened on its own and a small, dark-haired girl threw her arms around his legs. “Uncle Joey!” she called excitedly and he reached down to pick her up although his back complained silently at the effort exerted.
“Breezy,” he called, smile lighting his features as he picked up the eight year-old and she wrapped her legs around his waist and arms encircling his neck so she wouldn’t fall, not that he would have let that happen but it was human nature. “How’s my Bree?” he asked a bit quieter and she just hugged him tighter. “Oh,” he looked back in Nick’s direction and said, “Forgot to mention that Rose was born a few months ago,” and he smiled at the look on his brother’s face.
“I should have realized, she was almost due when I left, God, Joe, we’re old" he muttered and pushed past him and into the house. “Hey Tony,” Joe heard the caution in Nick’s voice and wished it weren’t necessary, but with recent events he supposed it was. But when he made his way inside and he saw Nick kneeling, the small two-year old wrapped in a tight hug he knew everything was okay in that regard, anyway. Anthony was Kevin’s oldest grandchild and Bree was Frankie’s youngest child.
He chuckled and ruffled Nick’s curls as he passed the two then moved his hand to play with Anthony’s golden locks. “And I thought I was the only one who could get the President on his knees,” he joked and Nick laughed before standing, the small boy still in his arms. He shot Joe an amused smirk and they walked into the living room like that, each with a child in their arms and stupid, goofy, happy grins on their faces. There was just something about little kids that lightened every situation.
The family had gotten rather large, and they were lucky they were all still able to celebrate the Holidays together. This was probably the last year they would all be together, though, because Paul Jonas Sr. had been in the hospital a lot lately to treat his cancer (brain tumor) but the chemotherapy just wasn’t taking anymore. They didn’t expect him to last more than a few months without the medication which, since he knew wasn’t going to cure him, the ex-minister but still religious man was going without.
The scene in front of them was typical except for the tension in the air. Danielle and Madison were sitting with Denise who was holding a small, 2 month old baby and the other ladies were crowded around as well. This would be Danielle and Kevin’s daughters Lynne and Rebecca, and the latter was pregnant with her first child even as Nick held Lynne’s oldest, Anthony, and Denise held the recently born family member, Rose. Lynne’s twin brother, Thomas, was openly gay and at twenty-eight was still lacking in a long-term significant other, he was hanging out with Rebecca’s live-in sweeties, Frederick, and Papa Jonas. Fred was a cool guy but would probably ignore you if you ever called him that. He and Becky were perfect for each other, but neither believed in marriage so they just lived together and were having a kid together. It had taken some a bit longer than others to be accepting of this situation, but it was really up to Becky and Fred, in the end, and they’d been together for four years so everyone was pretty much forced to be okay with it. Rebecca was twenty-five and Kevin’s youngest, Adam, was only eighteen. He was sitting with Frankie and Madison’s older children, Dana (who had just turned sixteen over the summer) and Franklin Jr. (who was fourteen) while Bree was their youngest. She poked Joe on the shoulder and he put her down so she could run over and join her siblings.
Instead of doing that, she rolled her eyes at him and tugged on his hand, “Uncle Jooooe” she whined, tugging again and he gripped both her hands in his, lifting her up quickly so she was airborne a moment and he caught her at the waist, spinning around in a circle and watching her long hair stream out as she squealed in delight. This seemed to break the tension more than anything and suddenly everyone was crowding around the two latecomers, especially around Nick, giving the two of them hugs and making them feel bad for not coming around more often. They were just really, really busy, too busy to be a bigger part of the family, but that would change when Nick retired.
After everyone had gotten over crying and other reactions to having Nick back, they sat down to dinner, Nick and Joe next to each other as always and the only ones who weren’t able to be open about the fact that they were there as a couple. They were there as brothers, sure, but even among family they had to be careful about not letting their relationship slip. Joe had always suspected some of them knew, Thomas especially seemed to notice the glances they exchanged or how their fingers lingered just a tad longer than necessary when they did have to touch. But that didn’t mean they could start a war by coming out.
“I was thinking of early retirement when you’re done being the President,” Joe said casually, voice kept low so the conversation would stay as much just between them as possible. Nick’s eyebrows rose as he chewed thoughtfully on the bite of sugar-free pie he’d just taken. “Yeah, maybe, I mean, I was thinking of maybe adopting a kid or something.” Nick coughed and swallowed roughly, eyes watering in surprise and Joe blushed, “I guess I’d be too old, but I don’t mean a baby, maybe a kid that’s already a bit older they need a home more…maybe Bree's age?” he trailed off and looked down at his plate.
He felt Nick’s hand come up to cover his on the table and looked over to see his brother smiling in an amused way. “Joe that sounds real good, maybe I’ll move in to help take care of the kid,” the smile grew, “Doubt you could handle it alone, anyway.” The way they spoke, their choice of words, they were speaking in code in case someone did happen to overhear. Of course, if Nick had said it was a bad idea, it meant that he didn’t want to raise a kid, and Joe wasn’t about to do something like that without Nick. They always erred on the side of caution, dancing precariously on that line between socially acceptable and just this side of ‘wrong.’
tags aren't always relevant,
i think kj's pg-13ness is influential,
joe/nick,
kj is amazing,
joe and nick are in love,
monster fic of doom,
jonas_harlequin,
~feelings