Nick and....

[call-me-loca.livejournal.com]

I'm feeling a little overwhelmed with the whole back-to-school thing so I'd love a little Nick and anyone going through that, preferably with their own kids, but if it's one of them going back that's fine, too.

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part one

[msktrnanny.livejournal.com]

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!"