Captain Jack (Book Three - ManxMan ManxManxWoman)

Chapter Twelve

Melissa joined them, which was nice. They all went down the elevator while he picked at a loose thread on the thigh of his skinny jeans, his long sleeves still hiding most of his hands. Blake was in shorts and a v-neck and Melissa was in a summer dress but neither of them had commented that he might be hot in so much clothing and for that he was grateful.

He found it surprisingly easier than he'd expected to walk out the front door of Watson Tower, especially with the park looming across the street. They didn't cross the road though staying on the footpath along the front of their neighbouring buildings and they were halfway to Subway when it occurred to Jack that it hadn't even occurred to him to be nervous about the fifth floor and Michael Bird or his wife.

Ned hadn't visited his parents once while being on the country and Jack had decided afterwards that if his brother could put them in his rear vision and not look back then he could too.

This led him to the decision he'd made and the anxious question he wanted to put to Blake and Melissa.

"I've been thinking about my name," he said to them as they walked. Melissa and Blake flanked him on either side without pointing it out or commenting on their decision to do so and for that he was happy. Melissa has even linked arms with him and while it had been uncomfortable at first. He found himself leaning into her as they continued along the street.

"We... sort of wanted to talk to you about that as well," Blake responded carefully.

"I know it caused a lot of trouble for you when I was in the hospital," he admitted, his brother had told him how close Michael and Mrs Bird came to being contacted as his listed guardians.

"It's all good," Melissa talked it down, "I have a minion in that place now and I'm not afraid to abuse him,"

Jack wondered for a moment if that was a double entendre. Knowing Blake and Melissa's sexual appetites, it might be.

"You're an adult now, of course, so you can always just change your listed next of kin with the medical service," Blake suggested diplomatically, "though I'm sensing you're thinking of something a little more drastic?"

Was drastic the right word? Certainly, Jack felt at times he was being a little overly dramatic when it came to his old names, but the more he thought about it the more he felt the decision he'd made was the right one.

"I don't want to make any assumptions," Jack said to them and was trembling again, though perhaps not because he was in public and people were looking at him, but because he was afraid of rejection, "but I was hoping... if you guys were ok with it... and only if you don't think it's creepy or crossing a line..."

"We already have the paperwork filled out for you at home," Blake turned his head to look at him while they continued to walk. "Your brother even witnessed it for you... even though you haven't technically signed it yet,"

That meant more to him than he could have expressed right now. His brother hadn't said anything to him about it, but signing his approval for Jack's name change when he was probably the only person in the world who might have had an issue with it, was all the motivation he needed to follow through with it.

"Thank you," he said forcing back the tears that threatened him again. "Thank you both,"

"We couldn't very well let you name yourself Jack Sparrow," Melissa laughed.

"Yeah, that would have been lame," Blake agreed and they all laughed.

It felt nice to laugh again. It felt nice to be outside again. Sure it was humid and decidedly uncomfortable in these skinny jeans (next time he would definitely wear shorts) but this was life.