This is Random Crack because and no other good reason exists

[element_wizard]

The spatula waved in the air as Alec sang the Beatles to the empty apartment. He was making a stir fry for dinner, under the assumption that Andrew would be back from work in time for dinner. If not he'd just save the rest for lunch the next day or snack later.

It didn't matter in the long run.

He just was cooking, having a good time, and singing about being a paperback writer while dancing horribly.

The day had been good. Quiet. He'd done well on his test in class. Andrew would be hopefully pleased. A little.

He'd even finally saved up enough money - when he got his allowance today - to get that laptop he wanted.

So.

He was happy.

Comments

[rianofski]

"Okay," Jack said, seemingly content to take the bowl and plop himself down at the table, staring at it for a few seconds before taking a tentative bite. He was a quiet seeming child, but polite, and he didn't seem particularly disturbed by the situation at hand, or if he was, he wasn't showing it.

Andrew nodded towards the living room, indicating that he and Alec should take the conversation in there. "We'll be right back, Jack," he said, and Jack simply nodded.

[element_wizard]

Fortunately for Jack, Alec was a good cook. He had to be to survive in Andrew's home. "If you want more, just take it."

He then goes off to the living room, expecting Andrew to follow him.

[rianofski]

Andrew follows close behind, already preparing what he's going to say. Alec probably isn't going to handle this well.

[element_wizard]

For a moment, Alec considers asking Andrew about this entire thing in Russian, but decides to take a tiny bit of pity on the guy.

Just a tiny bit.

In a low voice he asks, "Well?"

[rianofski]

"As was mentioned before, Jack is my biological son. No, I was not aware of this until extremely recently. No, I did not choose to bring him home, but... circumstances beyond my control forced my hand. Yes, he'll be staying here for the foreseeable future."

[element_wizard]

"Can I yell at you about using condoms?" Alec asks, only a bit snidely.

[rianofski]

"Can I make the point to you that I did, and was uninformed about the unfortunate fact that it broke until I found out I had a child. A seven year old child, I might add, who I have been entirely unaware of until two weeks ago?"

[element_wizard]

"Blackmail?" Alec asks. "Or something happened to his mother?"

There is probably something in between there, but generally it doesn't seem to exist in Andrew's particular world.

[rianofski]

Andrew gave Alec a grudging smile. The boy certainly understood his life well, even if that meant that he had to deal with some unpleasant things. "Something happened to his mother. She lost custody of him."

That's all the detail he'll go into with that.

[element_wizard]

"I'd ask if you made her lose custody, but I think you have enough issues with one kid," Alec says dryly. "That means she was one of your paid lady friends?"

Yes. He understood his life well. Both of theirs.

[rianofski]

"She wasn't a prostitute, Alec," Andrew said, tone only vaguely reprimanding. He had, of course, helped her pay her rent, so maybe she was a paid lady friend, but he chose not to see it that way.

"In any case, Jack is... young and confused. I'd appreciate it if you'd talk to him."

In other words, he wanted to provide Jack with a perspective that wasn't simply sudden new father figure, which could be intimidating.

[element_wizard]

Totally paid lady friend. Totally. Alec gives him a mildly disbelieving look.

"What am I supposed to say to him?"

[rianofski]

"Make him feel..." Andrew waves a hand dismissively. "Comfortable. I don't know. Ask him what he likes? Make him feel like he's not entirely alone here."

[element_wizard]

"How long is he going to stay here? He's not going to be staying in my room, is he?" First some priorities needed to be taken care of.

[rianofski]

"He's not going to be staying in your room. He'll stay in the guest room."

That was the benefit of having a huge apartment. Being as wealthy as Andrew had its definite advantages.

"He'll stay until the custody situation gets... adequately handled."

Which really didn't provide a number at all.

[element_wizard]

It didn't. Which irritated Alec. Andrew was his, damnit.

"You realize the last custody situation that got adequately handled has let me live with you for seven years now?" Alec says, as if trying to warn Andrew that if he's not careful he'll end up with two kids.

One is enough and that one is Alec, thank you very much.

[rianofski]

"Of course I realize that, Alec," Andrew snapped, having thought much the same thing himself several seconds before, and been made to feel extremely uncomfortable about it.

"It's not a permanent solution, but he is my child."

[element_wizard]

Alec flinches at getting snapped at.

He manages to keep his face straight but a bit of him is just dying at how easily Andrew calls Jack his child. His son. Admittedly it's because Jack Is his son, but it still matters. When you'd have to get the man all wound up and in an argument to get the same words applied to him.

Biting his lip, and feeling like his position at home has been threatened, he nods. "Yeah. Sure. Who's his mother? Do I know her?"

[rianofski]

Andrew is clearly uncomfortable at even describing Jack as his child. If he could, he'd reassure Alec that although Jack is biologically his, he sees Alec as being much more his, because he raised him. This strange small child is an interloper in both of their lives, and he's starting to realize that this may be more difficult than he'd hoped.

"Her name is Jasmine. She was a dancer and an aspiring actress. You may have met her one or twice."

[element_wizard]

Unfortunately for Andrew, Alec is fifteen and in those awkward stages of confidence building needed.

"Her? Yeah. I remember her. She was nice."

Pause briefly. "Was?"

[rianofski]

"She... is unfortunately currently in jail."

She had been nice, if a bit naive. And apparently capable of keeping secrets far better than Andrew had suspected.

[element_wizard]

"For what?"

Apparently! Since Alec remembers seeing her over the years and that's when Jack was a alive.

[rianofski]

"Embezzlement and money laundering, apparently. And aiding and abetting a criminal. She never had the wisest choice in men."

Including himself.

[element_wizard]

"Ah. Yeah. That is a lot of problems." Alec doesn't put Andrew in the category of bad choices in men, but he's biased. "How much does he know?"

[rianofski]

Andrew hesitates. "Very little, I'm afraid. He knows that I'm his father, which rather seems to confuse him, since Jasmine had a string of men in and out of her life for the last seven years. She and I, of course, had stopped speaking until her arrest, at which point she apparently thought it prudent to tell me that I was a father. Jack knows that his mother is away, but doesn't know the details, and I'd appreciate your not telling him in specifics."