Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Nico?” Jack asks as the other side of the answered phone stays silent. “Nico?” All he hears are soft noises and then a voice answers.

“Who are you?” It's a guy from their age.

“Oh hi, where's Nico?”

“Oh he's almost here, are you the guy he's been talking about?”

“I'm sorry? Who are you?” Jack asks, clearly confused.

“I'm Max, you're Jack, right?”

“Yeah, uhm, can you give me Nico?”

“He's still on the ice, he'll be here soon. So tell me, how's everything going?” Oh so it’s his teammate, they probably just had practice…

“Who are you even calling?” Another man's voice is heard.

“Hischier’s boyfriend.”

“We're not-” Jack tries but gets disrupted again.

“Really?? He's real??” He hears a few guys laugh and a voice comes closer to the phone. “If you’re Jack, please confirm you’re real.” The guy laughs, Jack was just about to hang up when he hears Nico’s voice walking into the locker room.

For a moment, nobody is talking to Jack and Jack just keeps silent. After a short conversation about the training, it falls silent in the locker room. Then Nico speaks up again, asking where his phone was and if someone has seen it. The guys close to the phone just laugh and something happens.

The phone probably gets tossed around until Nico gets hold of it and excuses himself from the room.

“I’m so sorry for that.” Jack hears Nico breath out and he laughs softly.

“It’s on me, I didn’t think of your training. How did it go?” Jack asks, remembering Nico has a game tomorrow evening in New York, so they are probably busy today.

“Yeah it was fine. Why did you call?” Nico asks, voice soft.

“Well, I was thinking, would you, uhm, want to come over some time? Meeting Nathan?” Jack's voice shakes slightly, he hopes Nico doesn't hear.

“Yeah of course!” Nico says, smile noticeable in his voice. “Are you sure? I mean, don't feel rushed.” Jack smiles at that.

“Yeah I'm sure.”

“Well, then, yes I would want to come over some time.” They both chuckle softly.

“I’m sorry, you have to dress around probably. I guess we'll just see when. You're leaving tonight right?”

“Yeah, going to New York for a day. I’ll be back in the early morning of the day after.”

“Alright, I'll see when I can see you again, good luck, baby.” Jack says, closing the conversation.

“Wait, Jacky, I wanna ask you something.” Jack responds with a soft hum. “I know Nathan means a lot to you, I get that, but I just wanted to ask you if you'd wanna be my boyfriend?”

It's silent for a bit, Nico is almost scared Jack will say no.

“Are you serious?” Is all Jack says, sounding shocked.

“I- I’m sorry if it’s too early?” Nico sounds unsure. “But I-”

“No, no, it’s not! Really. I would like to be your boyfriend. I was just checking if you were sure.” They both laugh softly at that.

“Well, I would like to be yours, so that’s convenient.”

Chapter Text

“Papa?” Jack turns around and sees Nathan stand in the doorway of his bathroom.

“Yes, baby?” Jack goes to rinse his body as he looks down to his son, waiting for him to continue.

“I'm scared.” Jack looks confused at the soft voice of his son.

“Why?” He turns off the shower and grabs his towel to cover his body, lowering his body to his son’s height. He wipes some lost curls out of Nathan's face as he just looks at him softly.

“The- uhm, the man.” Jack smiles at that, he talked to Nathan about Nico this morning.

“Natey, you don't have to be scared. Papa wouldn't invite him if he wasn't a nice man.” Jack tries to explain calmly, but still, Nathan's bottom lip is shaking a bit. “Come here.” Jack almost whispers.

Nathan shakes his head. “You're wet.” Jack laughs softly and takes a few steps back to dry himself off. He dresses around and grabs Nathan's hand to walk towards the couch.

“Do you wanna sit with me?” Nathan nods, having found his bunny and tugging it close to his chest. Jack goes to sit in the corner of the couch, Nathan joins him, burying himself in his father's embrace.

“Why are you scared, Nate?” Jack twists them so that they can look at each other. His hand finding Nathan's curls again.

“I- I don't know, papa, he's stranger…” Jack laughs softly, kissing Nathan's head.

“I know he's a stranger to you, but he's not to me. Do you understand?” Nathan nods, looking up at this father. “So, I really like Nico, and I think that you will like him too.” Nathan looks like he's thinking deeply, so Jack pauses for a second.

“Do you remember Brock?” Jack asks, remembering when Quinn was over and they were talking enthusiastically about his friend, Brock.

“Yeah! Brock! Friend with uncle Quinn!” Nathan says cheering.

“See, Brock is good friends with Quinn and Nico is good friends with papa. And just like Brock, I think you will get along with Nico really well.” They both smile at that.

Jack then remembers that Nico is almost here and asks Nathan to get up so he can finish getting ready. Nathan nods at gets off his father's lap.

Jack walks back to the bathroom, texting Nico to ask him to text if he's there and that he's still getting ready.

After a few minutes, he opens his phone again and sees two messages from Nico, one is just a thumbs up emoji and the other one just says I'm here.

As he walks into the living room again, he calls for Nathan, wondering where he is. He hears the boy's voice from his room.

“Hey Nate,” he walks into the room, “Nico is at the door, do you want to stay here or come with me to open the door?” Nathan just shakes his head and keeps playing with his legos. Jack just smiles and walks out, towards the door.

“Hey Neeks!” Jack says, smiling, as he opens the door.

“Hey Schatz, you look nice.” Nico says as he kisses Jack's cheek, immediately making him blush.

“Thanks, you don't look so bad yourself.” They both laugh and Jack steps away so Nico can enter his apartment. He toes off his shoes and hangs up his jacket before following Jack into the living room.

“Do you want something to drink? Nate is still in his room, he's a bit shy.” Nico smiles and nods, understanding.

“I'm good, thanks.” He says. Jack just smiles and grabs a glass of water for himself, they sit down together at the round diner table and start chatting softly.

“Papa?” They both look up as Nathan halts in the doorway, again clinging to his bunny.

“Hey Nate, come here.” Jack smiles softly and stretches his hand out, Nathan seems to be doubting, but when Nico smiles as well, he giggles softly and walks towards Jack to climb in his lap.

“Hi.” Nathan says, just above whispering. Nico smiles even wider.

“Hi, I'm Nico, who are you?” Nathan looks up at Jack again before looking back at Nico.

“Nathan.” He says, just a little bit louder than his greeting.

“It’s nice to meet you, do you maybe wanna play a game?” Nathan seems to be thinking about it, but when he looks away from Nico’s face and stares at the ground, he shakes his head, burying further into his father, for how far that’s possible.

Jack smiles up at Nico again, he’s so perfect, not just from the outside, that too, but he’s the perfect man, so sweet with Nathan.

“Do you want a hot choco?” Jack asks, slightly tickling Nathan, the little boy laughs loudly and starts kicking away, trying to escape his father’s hold.

“Papaaaaa!!!” He screams as he finally gets away and runs through the room. Jack and Nico both laugh as the little boy keeps giggling. Jack gets up to go to the kitchen to put some chocolate milk into a pan to warm it up.

Nathan eventually calms down as he stands beside Jack, his father’s big hand resting on top of his head. He keeps babbling about his day at daycare yesterday, nothing Jack hasn’t heard yet, but he keeps patiently listening, nodding along. Nico stays silent, just watching the two.

“Here, can you carry this to the table?” Jack asks Nathan as he hands him a heat-resistant cup, half filled with hot chocolate milk. ”Carefull, do-” And the cup is already on the ground before Jack can finish. Nathan turns around, bottom lip already out and shaking.

“Hey, it’s okay baby, accidents happen.” Jack crouches down and checks if anything spilled over Nathan. He then looks up as Nico walks past to grab some paper towel to wipe the floor clean. Jack smiles at him as he calms Nathan down. “You’re okay, Nate?” Nathan softly nods his head as his cheeks are now dry.

“Why don’t you go sit back at the table with Nico and papa will bring you a new one?” Nathan nods again and searches for Nico’s hand to hold as the man stands up from the ground. He smiles, not expecting Nathan to do such a thing just yet. But he takes the little hand in his’ and walks back to the table, Jack to the kitchen.

“There you go.” Jack places a new cup in front of Nathan, who is now sitting besides Nico instead of where he was sitting with Jack before. He smiles before looking up at Nico. “You want some as well? I made a little too much.” He smiles and confirms with a soft “yeah” before Jack walks back to the kitchen.

He hears Nathan starting to talk in between sips again and smiles. The shyness is fading away slowly and he isn’t scared of Nico anymore. Jack soon walks back with two mugs and hands one to Nico before sitting down again and sipping his own chocolate milk. Listening to his son’s stories, mostly made up.

After the hot choco, they go outside, dressed up for the Canadian winter. Jack and Nico take turns in pulling Nathan on the sleigh until they reach the playground. It’s partially covered in snow and Nathan is no longer interested in the swings. Jack and Nico find a spot on one of the benches and watch as Nathan starts to roll three big balls to eventually ask his father to put them on top of eachother so it kind of resembles a snowman.

After a while, Nathan gets cold and they go back home, back to the warmth and playing games.