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Jack states pointedly at Bobby, who gives him an equally agitated manner. Angel sighs off to the side, lazily sprawled out on the couch and unimpressed with the whole situation.
Jeremiah, naturally, looks between Jack and Bobby, "So, you'll come to see Amelia's band thing?"
"Of course we will. Supporting young musicians is what we do," Jack states, not backing down despite Bobby's immediate attempt at denial. "Right, Bobby?"
The older brother glares at him, "Are you sure you can even come? What about Nick's schedule? I've heard he's had issues getting time off."
"Nick is actually the one who suggested we go," Jack retorts, crossing his arms. "He knows that supporting my family is incredibly important."
Angel snickers off to the side, clearly amused.
The man rubs his face, "Fine! FINE! We'll be there!" He glares at Angel, "You're coming as well, idiot."
He raises his hands, amused, "Nick got to Sofi already, so obviously I'm going. Only one reluctant here is you."
Bobby opens his mouth to say something but then snaps it shut and stomps out of the room. Jeremiah has to dodge out of the way, lest he be trampled.
Jack grins at him though, clapping him on the shoulder, "We'll be there, obviously. Expect four or five."
"Do you think Nick will be-?"
Jack shrugs, a little helplessly, "Whether he gets there or not is entirely up in the air. I know he'll try his hardest, though."
---
Nick collapses onto their shared bed later that night, groaning in relief. He'd had back-to-back shifts, and had barely enough time to shower before his brain practically shut down.
Jack manhandles him into the good pajamas, and then under the covers before sliding in next to him, "So…"
Nick, despite being tired, always made it a point to stay awake long enough for Jack to tell him about his day and of anything important he needed to know, albeit his verbal skills certainly lacked their usual refinement. He raises his head from the pillow and kind of flops half on Jack and half off the bed to keep himself awake, mumbling, "Muhhh?"
Jack kisses the top of his head with a chuckle, "You're adorable when you're like this. You're trying so hard to stay awake."
He wrinkles his nose, "Not adorable."
"Yes, you are," Jack rolls his eyes, "Wanted to ask if you'll be available for Amelia's band concert?"
"Izzat the one on Saturday?" He asks, peering up at Jack like that would answer all his questions.
Jack huffs, "Yes, Nick. The one on Saturday. How many band concerts do you have lined up for yourself?"
He blinks, "Yours, duh."
Jack freezes, then immediately drags Nick closer and rolls them so the smaller man is pinned underneath him. "Have l told you that I love you?"
"In the last five minutes?" Nick shrugs, "No?"
Jack huffs, kissing him deeply, "I love you, dork."
"Says the one who found a signed copy of a Rush album at that estate sale and begged me, hands and knees, to let you buy it," Nick rolls his eyes. Said album was proudly displayed on the wall above their couch now, so it wasn't as if Nick could actually say no to him.
"If you recall, I thanked you on my knees in a different way when we got home," Jack points out, nipping along Nick's throat, causing him to shiver. "So? Will you be there?"
"I can't promise anything. I've got a mother coming in with quintuplets. Naturally wouldn't agree with her previous doctor to weed a few out, so now I've got the exciting job to somehow make sure most of them and the mother remain alive."
"That's a little cold, don't you think?"
"The chance of all of them surviving is very small. I'm shooting for the best-case scenario." He sighs, cupping Jack's face, "You've also got your therapy appointment that day. You can't cancel again or I will take away your dick privileges."
Jack narrows his eyes at his lover, "You wouldn't!"
Nick stares back evenly, "Try me."
They stare each other down, but eventually Jack caves, "Fine! Will you at least try to be there? For me?"
"Will you be mad if I'm a little late?"
"No. As long as you try."
Nick tugs Jack up, "I always try for you."
He doesn't get to sleep until much later that night. He's not mad about it.
---
Jack decided to dress nicely, despite his preference for patched and comfortable clothing when not in the spotlight. Not that he was today, but he felt like a button-up shirt and slacks and shiny black shoes would make him feel better, and it sort of did.
It would make him feel better to curl up under a massive amount of plushies and blankets and eat his weight in junk food while watching his favorite movies over and over from the comfort of his bedroom, but he wasn't likely to get that until later.
Therapy had been rough, and he's pretty sure his brain was threatening to leak out onto his shoulders to escape, but- well. He had promised. And Nick was not one to fuck with when it came to withholding sex to get Jack to do the more unpleasant things he needed to do.
It was, if not the best way to get him motivated, then nearly so. Maybe rivaled only by holding his guitars or food ransom, but… well. Nick didn't think holding those things over his head was all that fair or reasonable, and both of them knew Nick would cave eventually if Jack really didn't want to do anything.
Both had grown up in homes that were all too willing to take away things they needed or cared about as punishment. Jack got out, but Nick didn't until he was older, so they agreed to not hold anything over the other that wasn't something that they didn't need. Plus, the game was amusing enough, the back and forth play, that sex was often very much still on the table even when it's being threatened to be withheld.
Nick couldn't resist Jack even if he genuinely wanted to, and Jack wasn't much different in turn. It made everything much, much better, in his opinion. He'd had people want him for things- his skill with the guitar, his position in a band, because he was sexy as fuck, to name a few- but no one had ever quite matched the intensity that Nick had, nor the utter satisfaction in winning OR losing.
Of that, he would forever be tied to his lover, and never wanted to let go.
Still.
Nick was also in therapy and usually took the call during his lunch break twice a week. Jack was a lot less invested and only talked to his therapist on Saturdays. Even then, he doesn't know how Nick can do it- go through an emotional drain like that and then just go back to work like nothing was the matter. Probably had a lot to do with doing it for years at a time.
Jack didn't care. Nick was, is, the strongest person he knows, and he's glad to be with him, despite being stupid and losing it for a decade.
He's smoking a cigarette outside the auditorium, in the designated area for it, and might be freezing his ass off, but he needed it. He checks his phone and sends off a message.
JackAttack
Where are you? It's starting in a few.
PhysicianHealThyself
Traffic is kicking my ass. I'll be there soon
Ish
Don't worry so much.
JackAttack
I'm always worried about you, don't you know?
PhysicianHealThyself
Ha. Then you'll be gray before you're even thirty.
JackAttack
You love salt n pepper. Don't even play like you wouldn't love it.
PhysicianHealThyself
Shut up.
I love you.
JackAttack
Love you too.
Jack throws his used cigarette butt into the trash and heads inside, smoothing out his hair and looking around for his brothers.
Bobby looked uncomfortable, of course. He wasn't really all that used to minding his manners, and in equal measure hated dressing nicely. He also hated crowds when he wasn't surrounded by teammates and opponents.
Jack slides into the seat next to him and leans over to whisper to him, "You look like a football dad being forced to go to his son's ballet recital."
Bobby glares at him, "Fuck you. I'd be the epitome of a supportive father. I went to enough of your shit, didn't I?"
He rolls his eyes, "Excuse you, I was a prodigy."
"In what? Being annoying? I could see that." Angel pipes in from the other side.
Jeremiah walks past them in the aisle, smacking them on the backs of their heads, hissing, "Don't ruin this for her!"
Jack rubs his head, "It took me ages to get my hair right!"
"Should have thought of that before picking a fight with Bobby," Jeremiah rolls his eyes.
"I didn't-"
"Did too!"
"Did not!"
"Shut up or leave!" Angel hisses. "I'm trying to support my niece, assholes."
"Oh, like you're any better," Jeremiah mutters.
While his brothers argued over whatever it was they were arguing about, Jack subtly checked his phone.
JackAttack
Where are you?
Babe?
Hello?
The doors to the auditorium open and in walks Nick, still dressed in scrubs and looking harried, but finally there. He slides into his seat next to Jack, "Not a single word."
Jack raises his hands in surrender, "I take it you were waylaid?"
"Traffic, then the mom went into labor, but then stopped being in labor, and my people are keeping an eye on her. However, I have to be back after this, unfortunately. You don't mind if I get take-out or whatever tonight, right? I don't want you to go through extra effort to cook for me only for it to get cold," He winces, ducking his head, "I've got us reservations for my next day off, though. To that restaurant you like? The one with the weird bug-eyed fishes?"
"Delaney's. Yeah, that's fine," Jack threads their fingers together, "It's the effort that I care about. I knew what I was getting into when I signed up to be with you."
"Good. Not escaping me a second time, jerk."
"Can you two stop humping each other's legs for five seconds?" Bobby hisses at them. "The show's starting."
"Least I'm not humping my own hand, asshole," Jack hisses back, and the two begin to elbow each other.
---
Nick steals the cigarette from Jack's hand and takes a drag, "I can't believe all four of you got kicked out of a kid's band recital."
Camille takes the cigarette herself, "We can't take them anywhere."
"Imagine them somewhere fancy, though?" Sofi chimes in, and the three of them snicker.
Jack pouts, poking at his black eye, "Laugh it up. You guys aren't the one having to go on stage in even heavier makeup."
"Big baby," Nick huffs, smacking his hands away from his face, "Stop touching it, Jack. You're gonna make it worse."
"Why are you worried about him? He broke my nose," Angel groans from the side, head tilted back and a cloth pressed against it, trying and somewhat failing to not get it on his shirt.
"No, that was me," Jeremiah rolls his eyes, pressing a cold pack to the side of his face.
"You little-"
"And I'll do it again! Don't tempt me!"
"Which of you had the mean right hook again?" Jack asked, stealing the cold pack from Jerry as he and Angel started arguing again.
"Camille, actually," Nick shrugs helplessly.
"I'm not sorry," she shrugs, "You four were fighting like raccoons over a slice of pizza. On my daughter's big day, no less."
"I was looking forward to seeing her play, too. Been having glaring competitions with women in varying stages of labor all day. This was supposed to be a break." Nick sighs. "Those women get mean."
"You would too if you were pushing out a screaming watermelon," Camille pats him on the shoulder, "It's to be expected."
"The ring leader is pushing out five cantaloupes."
"Seriously? Five?" She shifts uncomfortably. "I can't even imagine that."
"Neither could she, honestly."
"That'd be a nightmare."
"We call her the Indomitable Queen of Labor and Delivery," he shrugs. "She's rallied all the moms and moms-to-be on the floor and is actively terrorizing the nurses."
Camille shakes her head, "Crazy."
Jack tries to lean against Nick's shoulder, but he pushes him back, "Hey-ey-ey. You don't get cuddles after you demanded I disobey road laws-"
"What? I did not!"
"Nevertheless, I disobeyed traffic shit to get here because you wanted me to be here. And then even before it starts, we're all kicked out because you and your brothers can't behave for an hour together!" Nick glares at them, and all four shrink a bit. "Now, I'm gonna take Camille and Sofi to a diner so we can get a fucking milkshake, and you three get to wait here until Amelia is done, to apologize personally!"
No one could argue with him on this matter.