Confliction ; Joetrick

one; of ill wives and hot strangers

Patrick was sure he couldn't love someone as much as he loved Elisa. There was a reason he married who he believed to be the most beautiful woman he knew. Not only were her looks attractive, but her personality -- and that's just why Patrick loved her.

Now, as a humble man, he wouldn't say his marriage was perfect, but he knew it was pretty damn close. He hated arguments, so they were a rare occurrence, despite what the stupid magazines saying that's what keeps a relationship healthy. It was dumb.

They also had their son, Declan, whom he also loved dearly. He was the perfect child, in Patrick's opinion, making them what he believed to be a very perfect family. It all seemed a bit cliché and boring, but Patrick liked it that way. He was a tradition man. He preferred things staying normal. Ordinary was his thing, and he liked to think they did well in that role.

At least, that's what Patrick thought their family was like, not necessarily boring and ordinary, but definitely what you'd expect from the average family. Of course, life could sometimes get way too hectic, and you'd get Elisa catching the flu in the middle of a busy workday, leaving her unable to take Declan to daycare. Like today.

She was bedridden, and Patrick knew he was supposed to be the hero and swoop in and take Declan to daycare and kiss her forehead and still make it in time for work, but that'd be hard. Especially since he had never been to the daycare, and had no idea where it was. Plus he didn't want to touch Elisa, it was probably contagious. Catching her illness would make his day a lot worse than it seemed to be turning out to be.

It would've been easier if Elisa simply gave Patrick the directions so he could go on with his day, but she seemed rather bitter and ungrateful about the whole ordeal. Patrick couldn't blame her, considering how ill she was, but at least a little thank you for taking Declan would've been nice.

So he was put into a bit of a mood, he didn't find it that fair that he was the one doing all the work, and Declan wasn't doing anything to relieve his stress. He told himself he would be late for work by dropping Declan off to daycare, but he knew it wasn't true. He was just angry that Declan was throwing Lucky Charms across the room, making a mess, and he left the house a lot earlier than he was supposed to. The Lucky Charms were a problem to be dealt with later.

That time was soon made up for, as Patrick got lost on the way to the damn place, making the five minute trip longer than necessary. What made it feel like five hours was Declan screeching and yelling in the back, kicking Patrick's chair and making his father sincerely consider driving off a cliff. Luckily there were none of those on the way.

All this meant arriving at the daycare was probably the best thing that was going to happen to Patrick all day, because he was finally free from his family. Don't get him wrong, he loved them, but they were really annoying him right then. He grabbed Declan from the back seat, and endured the kicking as he carried him to the daycare. He probably looked a bit of a sight, a short and flustered, unfamiliar man carrying a kicking toddler into the daycare. He was beyond the point of caring, there was nobody worth impressing.

That was, until Patrick soon spotted someone worth impressing. As he struggled across the playground, Declan still wriggling in his arms, he subconsciously began to worry a little more about his appearance. He definitely felt like a bit of a sight as a man -- taller than him -- with majestic looking curls, strode past with the sweetest looking daughter walking beside him, hand in his. The girl gave Declan a glance, definitely recognising him, but not the man who held him.

Whether Patrick recognised the man holding her or not, it didn't matter, because he nearly froze as he watched the guy walk past. And it wasn't because he knew the man, he could tell this was the first time he had seen this guy.

And, boy, was it a sight. A better sight than he was, for sure.

To say the least, this guy was easy on Patrick's eyes. He hadn't noticed Declan stopped whining since the girl looked at him, because he was so focused on the man beside her.

God, he was hot.

Wait, what was Patrick thinking? He looked down at his son, snapping himself out of this stupid little trance. He knew he wasn't supposed to be thinking this, and he wanted to get out of that daycare as soon as possible to avoid anything else entering his mind. Surely Declan knew where to go from here, so Patrick let him go, and let him find his way inside. Patrick was too confused to join him or to say goodbye properly.

He totally just checked that guy out, didn't he. That wasn't cool, he has a wife. He shouldn't just check people out like it's no big deal.

No, Patrick totally wasn't checking that guy out. Plus, if he was, it's absolutely fine to check people out sometimes, like his friend used to check out that waitress all the time in that one place they used to go to. It's okay if he was, but he wasn't.

He knew he needed to stop making excuses for himself, everything was fine, but just because he was a little annoyed at his wife didn't mean he was suddenly checking out other people. And it didn't mean he could. It was all made up for anyway, because as he left the daycare, he received a text from Elisa, apologising for her bitter behaviour. Patrick was quick and easy to forgive her, because that's how he was. He loved her.

Yet, when the next day came around, Patrick insisted on taking Declan to the daycare again. He told Elisa it was because she was ill, and it would be the nicest thing to do, but he was assuring himself more than anyone else.

It wasn't to see the guy again.