Alex tapped his thumbs on the steering wheel of his car, looking over at the sleeping boy in his passenger seat. He was driving Jack down to meet his father the day before his graduation since they otherwise wouldn't have gone to visit him until his birthday. And Alex did not think it would be the best idea to introduce his boyfriend and dad on his father's birthday. Especially since it was pretty obvious that Jack was most definitely not Alex's age. His youth showed and Alex knew his father would see the potentially dangerous air in their relationship due to it.

-
"Jay, wake up. We're here." Alex said as he lightly shook the teen to wake him.

"Five more minutes, Mom." Jack mumbled back still barely awake.

"Baby wake up. We're here, come on."
Jack finally opened his eyes just slightly, smiling when he saw Alex. "Do I have to get up?"

"Yes, you're the one who wanted to meet my dad. We could've done it anytime next week but you insisted on today."

"I'm up." Jack groaned at his boyfriend. "But can you carry me tongue door?" He teased earning a roll of the eyes from Alex.

"I won't carry you. But I will hold your hand."

"Fair enough."

A few minutes later and Alex was knocking on his father's door and as promised holding Jack's hand with his free one. The couple exchanged nervous smiles both looking from each other and to the door.

"Alex!" The teachers father exclaimed, seeming to have barely noticed Jack's presence. "Come on in."

The pair settled themselves on the couch while Alex's father went into the kitchen to get tea for each of them.

"You don't look much like your dad, same eyes 'cept the colors are pretty off." Jack commented.

"Yeah, I took after my mom...God I wish you could've met her."

"I know. But it's great that I get to meet your dad. If he's anything like you I'll love him."

Alex rolled his eyes and hugged the teenager into his side. "You'll like him...well-"

"Here you go boys!" Mr. Gaskarth said as he sat a tray with two mugs on it on the coffee table.

"The teas still really hot so be careful." He advised, now sitting in his armchair. "So, Jack right?"

"Yeah that's me." The teen said with a smile, still tucked into Alex's side.

"You look really young, let me guess, twenty, probably closer to nineteen."

"No Dad...Jack's younger than that." Alex said, now letting go of his boyfriend and perching himself on the edge of his seat.

"Then how old is he?"

"I'm seventeen..eighteen next month if that helps." Jack said with a weak smile, glancing over at his boyfriend.

"I...Alex can I have a word with you?"

"Dad, can you ju-"

"Alex, a word." He stated, clearly un-moving from his ground.
The teacher stood up almost in defeat and followed his father into the dining room.

"What the hell are you doing bringing a seventeen year old to my house?! Huh? And you're introducing him to me as your boyfriend! The same one you've been dating for months now too I suppose? I don't know that the hell is going on in that brain of yours Alexander but I suggest you straighten it out and soon." His father let out, pausing with a sigh, clearly not done with his diatribe.

"Dad! Stop it! He graduates tomorrow, then it's legal and we're in the clear. I know, it was a bad move, I know it's really wrong, I know I'm not supposed to let students that close, I know I shouldn't wear my heart on my sleeve. All the things you told me before I started teaching." He sighed and raked his fingers through his hair. "But when it came to Jack all reasoning just left. I felt like I needed him in this weird way, which in novels would be a sick dependency but for some reason with us it's beautiful and works...I want you to accept him and love him cause I do. I know, we probably should've waited until after graduation to start dating, I know. Just...hear me out okay?"

"You two could still very well get caught, I hope you know that."

"Yeah, but we won't. We've been playing it safe."

"Okay...I trust you...but this is your first and last time dating a student, I will get that job taken away fro-"

"No you wouldn't. And you know I'm not one to throw logic out the window, ever. So trust me, Jack is the only exception."

"Whatever you say Alex...I'm going to trust you on this."

"Thanks dad." He smiled. "Now maybe you want to get back to meeting my boyfriend? He's really nervous about this as is."

His father nodded and smiled at him, now showing semblance of embarrassment.

-
By dinner the trio were getting along fine. Jack's previously clear diffidence now faded. Finally comfortable and not looking over to Alex for approval of his every action. And Alex liked that, he liked knowing that the teen and his father got along just as he'd predicted. Besides, who could hate Jack?

Not Alex that was for sure.

"So you're going to school here?" Alex's father asked the youngest of them.

"Yeah, not sure what my major is though. I'm looking at music production but I'm just not sure."

"You could always be a teacher. The field is promising."

"Dad," Alex groaned. "Don't do that, not everyone wants to be a teacher."

"So I'm told. I mean it's not the most glamorous job and you don't make that much money at first, but once you get your masters you could be a professor or just get higher pay from the district. There's always potential in the teaching field."

Alex rolled his eyes at his father but smiled nonetheless. He quite liked how passionate his dad was about teaching but he'd never let him know that.

"I could see myself being a music teacher, but being completely honest I'd rather do something where I could work independently. At least for the most part anyway." Jack spoke up, looking back from his boyfriend and to his father.

"You could be a songwriter, if you ever decide to do something with pop artists there's a lot of money there." Alex suggested.

"I'm not good enough with words for that and you know it."

"You could help with putting sound behind the words, there are plenty of talent-less pop robots out there." Mr. Gaskarth said before picking up his fork and looking down at his plate.

"Why don't we save this talk for when I'm actually in college. I'm okay with not having everything in my life planned out."
Alex shrugged signalling his end of participation in the conversation.

-
"So what did you think of my dad?" Alex asked on the car ride home. "I mean minus the part where he pulled me out of the room to yell at me."

"I think he's nice...I see where you get it from."

"Get what from?"

"That thing you do when you talk about something your excited about. He does the same thing with his mouth."

"You pay way too much attention to me don't you?" Alex teased.

"Shut up. Anyways I think I made a good first impression. He'll love me once he's not worried about you getting in trouble for us being together and everything."

"Yeah, I suppose...I just wish his initial reaction wasn't the way it was. Usually he's so rational and at least hears me out before going off on my like that."

"But usually you don't do things that are illegal, so..."

"Shut up, you know what I mean."

"Yeah, but it's not a big deal. He's happy for you and willing to accept us. That's all that matters."

"I know I've said it before...but God you're so mature for seventeen."

"It's one of the many reasons you love me. Now shut up and concentrate on not ramming into the back of that truck."

Notes

Ugh this effing hurt me. Why, you ask. Well this is just so darn close to the end. And I am so not ready to let go of this fic, it's my baby. Agh. But anyways I think four more chapters and then it's done...*sigh*