#withprettywords

A few months later he was regretting giving the relationship his blessing. Not that Jackson would have listened to him if he’d told him to not date Lydia, but Danny likes to think he has some power over his best friend’s decisions. Lydia’s chattering at Jackson, not with him, and Danny’s mourning the fact he chose to sit with Jackson instead of his friends from band; at least the band kids acted like he existed. Jackson’s too busy trying to keep up with Lydia and the rest of the lacrosse team keeps side-eyeing him like he’s going to launch himself at them and shove his tongue down their throats to even consider talking to them. So he takes a bite of his sandwich and zones out, thinking of what he has to do and contemplating between sax practice and running with Pele. Lydia’s giving him a disgruntled look when he comes back in and starts packing up to leave and he’s not dumb; Danny knows Lydia’s pretty, beautiful even if he wanted to be cliché, but he hopes Jackson would smack him if he ever looked at a guy the way he’s staring at Lydia right now.

He doesn’t do anything when he gets home like he said he was doing to. Instead, he ends up sprawled across the couch, Pele half in his lap and half spread across his legs and his little brother sitting on the floor in front of the couch, switching between coloring and watching Ratatouille. He’s half asleep when his phone vibrates off the table and Alex picks it up, handing it to Danny when he holds out his hand.

What are you doing?

Baby-sitting

It’s another half hour and Danny’s nearly asleep again before the doorbell rings and Pele launches herself off him, paws digging into his thighs before she’s bounding to the door, barks echoing in the hall and Alex squealing as he pelts off after her. Danny groans and rolls off the couch, landing on his feet and walking to the front door, grabbing Pele’s collar in one hand and hauling her back as Alex opens the door; Lydia’s standing there, lips pursed and looking extremely bored or as if Danny has offended her by answering the door. She doesn’t change her facial expression very often; then again, neither does Jackson. Danny’s starting to believe they really do belong together.

“Can I help you?”

“You don’t like me and I don’t like you, but we both like Jackson so we’ll have to tolerate each other at least. So get your little brother and let’s go to the mall.”

Danny kind of hates the mall and only goes when it’s absolutely needed, but he decides he hates the mall even more with Lydia than he normally does. Alex is heavy on his hip and Lydia’s humming under her breath faintly as she looks at a display of men’s cologne or aftershave; he can’t tell from here, but he knows that Jackson wouldn’t wear it.

“You know, Alex has a bedtime and he needs to eat before that.”

Lydia hmm’s at him and he can’t stop from rolling his eyes as he walks over to her; Alex yawns into his neck to punctuate his last statement.

“Jackson would never wear that.”

“I know. It’s for you.”

One of Danny’s eyebrows rises at that and Lydia scoffs, picking up a bottle.