popslash_lollipops | Nick and....

The kitchen was in utter chaos, unless of course you lived there. There was a routine being executed here, paths being followed and nuances. All easily viewable if you knew where to look. Sure, the lunch bags were all in a heap, but if you knew what to look for you'd have seen that the one on the top belonged to the middle schooler who left first, and the one on the bottom was new, and also belonged to the last to leave. The massive array of food was being eaten intermittently by children and adults wandering through in their morning routine. Even the bathrooms were used in quick succession, one kid running out while another was running in. Only the master bath was quiet, both of it's users inside, sharing its space as they did on a daily basis.

Though normally Nick wasn't sitting on the toilet with his head in his hands. He breathed harshly, mumbling about new schools and bus routes as he struggled to get it all under control. 3 kids, three schools, 2 separate bus routes and a car pool. To top it all off it was the youngest' first day of kindergarten. Nick had been up late the night before, making sure laundry was all done so that favorite outfits could be worn and new clothes wouldn't look 'new'. Allison had told him that was 'uncool Dad'.

Nick looked up at his husband. Partner? Lover? They never really had decided on one specific term. They'd been together too long for boyfriends and Nick hated the term Life Partner. It made him feel like a bank investment. His man, sure, why not? Nick's Man. It had a nice ring and in the middle of his near panic that Benjamin wouldn't like school and Allison would be chased by boys, it made him giggle. A lot.

"I don't think I've heard you laugh like that since we adopted Ben."

Nick looked up at a face mostly covered in shaving cream, with one clean path of skin and giggled full force, bordering hysteria.

"Oh, Nick. You told me you were good with all this. I know you can do it! You're ready, the kids are ready."

Hastily removed shaving cream adorned the towel that went sailing towards the hamper as Nick felt a strong arm circle his waist, pulling him up and into a sheltering embrace.

"Bens hates school, and I'm not ready for Allison to date and what if Ollie has to sit behind that mean boy again this year!"

"Nick, baby, what are you talking about?" There was a hint of amusement in the voice. "Ben hasn't been to school yet and Allison is still on her boys have cooties phase."

"Ollie! Ollie needs me!" Nick was clinging, upset over everything going on. His kids were leaving him. They weren't going to need him anymore. And he was a rotten father for letting them go, releasing them into the nasty world. It was all...

Utterly ridiculous. Which Nick knew. He knew it was time, each of the kids was ready for the new experiences they were going to have this year, they would always need him on some level and yet.

"Olivia will always need her Daddy, so will the others. They'll just need you for different things. And the 'mean boy' has been Ollie's best friend all summer." Soothing hands accompanied the voice, lulling Nicks' crazy emotions into a somewhat calmer state.

For just a moment, Nick stood in that safe spot, believing the words, knowing it was true. Then there was a blast of a bus horn and pandemonium broke out through the house anew.

Nick delivered a swift kiss before bolting to the kitchen. "Allison! First warning on the bus! Ollie, honey, do you need me to do your hair? BEN! C'mon handsome, don't want to miss your 1st day!"

The stairs sounded with footsteps of all sizes as the kids came down, behind them their other father, roughly shaven and beaming.

"Daddy?"

"Ollie, honey, are you all ready?"

"Dad! She's fine, I did her hair this morning and she's had her backpack packed for two weeks!" Allsion gave her sister a 'you are such a geek' look but smiled none the less.

"Ok, ok. What about you Ben, ready for your first day?" Nick was proud of how level his voice sounded. He didn't want to cry.

"All set, Dad!" Ben held up his tiny Backstreet Boys backpack proudly.

Nick groaned. "Ben, where did you get that?"

Ben threw a thumb over his shoulder at the guilty party, who didn't even have the decency to look like he felt bad.

"Ok, so, Allison, you're first. Have a good day, remember it's a new school and not all of your old friends will be there and that I'll be here when you get home, just like always."

Allison nodded, grabbed her lunch bag off the heap, kissed both her fathers goodbye and headed towards the door, her "I love you!" thrown casually over her shoulder.

"We love you, too" Nick yelled in return.

"Studio today?"

"Yeah, we're working on something new today. I think Chris wrote it, not sure. I'll call if I'm going to be late. Love you."

More kisses and a second lunch bag gone and Nick stood with Ollie and Ben. "Ok, you two, off to the bus we go."

Nick managed to not cry as Ben got on his first bus ride. He took approximately two and a half million pictures and waved until the bus was no longer visible, then he walked back to their house, now silent. He hurriedly put his own plate and cup in the dishwasher and checked the house for errant lights and appliances that might still be on. When all was quiet and as clean as it was going to' get for the day, Nick returned to the kitchen.

8:45. Time to go. Nick grabbed his own backpack, and the last lunch bag on the counter. A piece of paper wafted to the ground, and skidded nearly under the fridge. Nick heaved a sigh and knelt down to fetch it. Turning it over he found a note; painstakingly written in 4th grade cursive, with several spots had been worn smooth by erasing.

"Dear Daddy,
Have a good first day of school. Remember you can do anything you put your mind to.
I love you,
Ollie"

It was exactly the same notes they all had in their lunches, even Ben who couldn't actually read it. Nick folded the note into his wallet, retrieved his bags again and hit the door.

College waited

I hope this is what you had in mind. :o)

OMG THANK YOU!!!

You're welcome. :O)

*hugs you tight* So sweet.

:o)

I didn't realize you read Backstreet too!

I was holding it together until the note from Ollie. Now I'm tearing up and making that horrible high pitched "Oh..." noise. The dogs in the neighborhood thank you.

Was that entirely Backstreet? It it was and I'm not clueing in, chalk that up to unfamiliarity with them.

I have a couple of pairing that I adore--that's I'll be particularly happy to see--but I'll read any pairing or original characters. Long as it's well-written.

rofl! I torture dogs long distance! Wheeee! ;o)

it was cross over. Shhhh! Don't tell.

I love that icon. I had an idea for one that was based on something like that and now I can't remember what it was. Boo.

I will make you an icon of squee.

Yeah, see I thought it was crossover but you said "you read backstreet" and you threw me off my game.

some fans are very selective in their slash.

and wheee! I need an icon of squee!

Awwww!

Perfect back to school story!

Thank you! Now if I can only get Nick to come to my house when he needs consoling.

*dies laughing*

Now, wouldn't that be something!

Oh yes, indeed!

ahahahah! Boys dropping trau! I love it.

Heee!

It's one of my favorite icons!

Can't imagine why. LOL!

And some fans will read Howie/Justin out loud to innocent bystanders.

you mean he still isn't swapped into Nick's body?

geesh! Can't get that Timberlake kid to do anything right!

Simply put, I love this.

fantastic!

That was really sweet. A nice read.

thank you!

[wow, so late responding. 40 lashes with a wet ~~Nick~~ noodle.]

thank you!

[sorry so late in responding. I really do appreciate the feedback!]

thanks so much!

[is that you in that icon? Whomever it is is aboslutely adorable]

Yep, it is I. Just one of those perfect babypics!

Read this again, and dang, same reaction.

THANK YOU!!!

You're very welcome! I'm thrilled it holds up for you!

How are you anyway? Things looking any better? Anything I can do?

Anything I can do?

Actually, yes, if you are willing/able...

email me

Nick and....

part one

part two

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So SWEET!

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