Family Ties

Part 9

"Say thank you and off to bed, no arguments." Raymond sternly stopped him.

"Thanks mister." he smiled brightly at Jackson, before jumping up to go to bed.

"Can I get you some coffee?" Raymond asked Jackson who had taken up a seat on the couch.

"Sure, thanks." Jackson looked around him. Everything in the apartment was immaculate and in it's place. Apparently Raymond was as anal at home as he was at work. Getting up, he took a closer look at a wall covered with a collection of Skye's brightly colored artwork framed in black. To the side, an assortment of black and white family pictures.

"Why are you bringing Skye thank you gifts late at night?" Raymond asked, handing Jackson his coffee.

"Because of him, I managed to close three deals in one morning!" his face lit up. "The moment those old nutcases saw him, they all turned to mush and agreed to the deal on the table." Shaking his head, he mused, "Who knew having a kid would be so useful in business."

"That's my kid you're talking about." Raymond interjected. "I'm going to gloss over the fact that you used Skye to gain a business advantage and move straight on to gifts."

"Are you going to get anal about gifts now? Why are you so uptight all the time?" Jackson frowned.

"Because it's my job to be anal and uptight, if you haven't noticed. I have two children to take care of..." he paused looking at Jackson. "Thank god Skye is the more advanced one."

"Ha ha. Funny is your middle name." Jackson's grin was back. "I had a really good time this afternoon."

"Hmm, it was good. Although today was supposed to be a punishment for calling someone a cocksucker!" Raymond snorted. Skye would have used the word confidently and with that serious expression, as if he were conveying significant information.

"Yeah, you might want to talk to your family about that." Jackson laughed, leaning back in his chair. He felt quite comfortable sitting in Raymond's living room, drinking coffee. And if he was really being honest with himself, then he would admit to the fact that his heart was beating a little bit faster. He felt like a teenager confronted by their crush.

Things seemed easier earlier that day. Maybe it was because Skye was with them. He got excited by the smallest things and would chatter non stop at high speed. He was a cute kid. A carbon copy of his father, with his messy blond hair, eyes that looked like deep pools of water and slight, wiry build.

"He's really cute though."

"He is now. Wait until the whining, wailing and howling starts. Then he's not so cute." Raymond frowned briefly before a smile played on his lips again.

"So, it's only the two of you?" Jackson awkwardly asked what he'd come to find out.

"Yip, just the Squirt and me." Raymond couldn't help smiling whenever he thought of Skye. He was his whole world. From the very first moment he held him in his arms, he was lost to the world.

So no Mr. or Mrs. Cook, huh?" Jackson wasn't aware that he was holding his breath until Raymond answered.

"There is no Mr. Cook, if that's what you're asking." Raymond smiled mischievously winking at Jackson, who felt a flush creep over his face.

"I... eh That..." Jackson stammered, completely lost and embarrassed. He could feel the heat all over his face.

"Don't over think it Jackson." he laughed at the face that Jackson was making. "Look, I have to finish up a few things before tomorrow." Raymond got up, turning toward the door.

--

"Jackson! Can you sit down?!" Asuka asked sharply, having watched him pace up and down in excitement for the past five minutes. "You're going to do my head in."

"Do you know what this means?" he raked his hand through his jet black hair, stopping to flop down into a deep, comfy wing back chair.

"That you can still become Mr. Cook?" she raiser eyebrow, her lips twitching in humor.

"Shut up!" he snapped. "But at least now there's hope." He wasn't easily impressed with anybody, but Raymond knocked the socks off him completely. There seemed to be a lot that he wasn't revealing about himself, but behind his quiet exterior, there was steely resolve. Also, his ballsy attitude and confidence was another big draw card..

"So, now that we've identified the victim, how are we going to commit the crime?" Asuka couldn't suppress her grin. This was a new Jackson in front of her. Always self assured to the point of being egotistical, he had no regard for how his actions would impact others, as long as he got the results that he wanted. His hothead had gotten him in to major trouble before and his short temper was well known. Especially if he couldn't get what he wanted.

"I don't know." a frown creased his brow. "You've done this before, what do I do next?" He hadn't thought this far, but what happens now anyway?

"Take him for coffee or something. Keep it low key, you know? Just be chill."

"Coffee? Okay, I can do that." he seemed to square his shoulders. "How do I ask him?" he pinned her down with his stare. Talking through the process was one thing, but facing the reality would be ten times more scary, Jackson thought to himself.

"Well, er... go with your gut. See what works." Asuka could see his temper rise at her words. "You can't go planning every word and action. Just do what feels right at that moment and stop being a pussy!" she slapped his knee.