oneshots: legacy edition (jalex)

My Babysitter's The Same Age As Me

When Jack threw that party, not only did he not expect to get caught, he also didn't expect to be grounded for actual eternity.

Okay, so eternity is actually only three weeks but in adult years that's basically eternity. He's eighteen so technically an adult, but he's yet to acquire a steady job and he's just barely out of high school.

Being grounded isn't really the worst thing ever. It's only really bad because his parents are going out of town for two of the weeks he's grounded for.
Oh, you say, but doesn't that mean Jack isn't actually grounded? Since his parents won't be there to make sure he follows through with the punishment?

No! Because his parents hired him a babysitter!
To stay with Jack for the whole two weeks!

Jack had never seen such bullshit before.

Eighteen years old and his parents hired a babysitter for him. What in the Wattpad is this?

Now, the babysitter is only half informed about who he's watching.
As far as Alex is concerned, he's watching the youngest Barakat son while Mr. and Mrs. Barakat are on vacation with the rest of the family. Alex was told their son was grounded and wouldn't be allowed to watch TV or play any video games for the whole two weeks, nor would he be allowed to leave without supervision.

Movies are on the table only because Alex thought it might be a good way to keep the kid entertained while he prepared meals and whatnot. He still isn't sure why Mrs. Barakat had laughed, but Alex had figured she was pretty sure Alex had no idea how to manage in the kitchen, which is a common misconception.

Some nineteen year old boys can cook. Alex is one of the rare few.

So on his first day, Alex greets Mr. and Mrs. Barakat as he would any parents, asking if he should try to get their son to do any reading practice while they were away.

The couple just laughed and shook their heads. "Jack's in the other room," Mrs. Barakat has said, still smiling a bit mischievously. "I think you two will get along great."

Alex had taken a moment to think about what she had said, and he frowned. "You have two sons named Jack?"
Mrs. Barakat had just smiled wider. "No. Just one. Have you two already met?"

And that's how Alex accidentally signed up to babysit the guy he's had the biggest crush on since middle school.

When the parents finally leave for their vacation, Alex walks into the kitchen, where Jack is eating lunch, glaring daggers at the wall so aggressively Alex almost wonders why the small painting hasn't even titled.

"So," Alex says, pulling up a chair, and sitting in it backwards because of course he does, "what did your eighteen year old ass do to warrant a babysitter for two weeks."

And then he smiles as he watches Jack's mind completely implode.

You see, Alex knows something about Jack, something most people probably wouldn't guess.

Alex knows that Jack has a huge crush on him. He's known since middle school. He'd even tried to ask Jack to study with him on multiple occasions, but Jack always nervously declined, because god forbid he spend more than two seconds talking to Alex and embarrass himself.

Now, here Jack is, in all his punk rock, skunk-haired glory, flushing crimson as Alex—the babysitter—sits before him, smirking.

Jack's mouth goes completely dry as he stares at Alex, dumbstruck and more than a little embarrassed. Rian and Zack are never going to let him live this down. Not only is the stupid babysitter Jack's age, but he's also the guy Jack has been pining over for years. Alex had clearly wanted to be friends in high school, and was even persistent and nice about it when Jack declined his efforts to meet up, because he was too nervous that he'd fuck up.