3 n 1 (Tracob)

🎵17🎵

Troye's phone begins ringing and the smaller boy jumps awake in an instant.

Rubbing his eyes, he digs his phone out of his pocket and shuts off the alarm before shutting his eyes again and lying his head back on his boyfriend's shoulder.

"Baby boy," Jacob whispers.

"Maybe you should call in. Go home and get some more sleep. I can bring Bailey home later."

"I have no excuse," he mumbles.

"Tell them you don't have a babysitter."

Troye shakes his head, "They know she goes to daycare."

"Just tell them you feel like crap then," Jacob chuckles. "You're not going to be working anyway if you're sleeping on the job."

"Yeah, but at least I'll get paid to sleep."

Jacob laughs softly, "C'mon, babe. You're in no position to go to work."

Sighing after a moment, he considers Jacob's suggestion.

Troye unlocks his phone and calls his work.

Bailey walks in and Jacob gestures for her to be quiet.

He watches silently as Troye talks to whoever was on the other end of the phone.

He hangs up with another sigh and lies his head back down.

"Good or bad news?"

"Both," he mumbles. "I get today off and I wasn't scheduled for tomorrow. But they're scheduling me for Saturday now so now I work Friday and Saturday instead of today and Friday."

"Daddy," Bailey says quietly, sitting in the chair Alex had previously been sitting in.

"Yeah, baby?"

Troye gasps after being two seconds away from being completely asleep. "What's gay mean?"

Troye opens his eyes and looks at the little girl, "Gay? Uh, it means when you like-like someone of the same sex."

"Oh... so like you and Jakie?"

"Yep, exactly like us."

"Can... can I be gay?"

"If that's who you are," Troye chuckles lightly. "When you get older, and you find yourself having a crush on a girl."

"Otay," Bailey sighs.

"Where'd that come from, anyway, Haybail?" Jacob asks.

She shrugs, "Someone here said it the other day."

"An adult?"

She shakes her head, "A boy. I hugged Ashley and he told me it was gay to hug a girl if you're also a girl."

"That's not gay, sweetie," Jacob says with a bit of anger in his tone.

"Hug anybody you want. Girl or boy."

"Hey, now," Troye says quietly. "Not until she's married."

Jacob chuckles, "Go to sleep. I thought you were tired."

Bailey sighs before speaking again, "Alex was talking to a guy out there and he was laughing a lot."

"He was?"

"Mhm," the little girl nods. "I think he likes him. His face was red," she giggles.

Was it Ryan?

No, Alex wouldn't have been laughing a lot and he wouldn't still be out there talking to him.

Geez, that boy moves on fast.

"Bailey, honey, why don't you go get a coloring book from the playroom and you can color in here while your daddy sleeps for a bit, okay?" Jacob asks, noticing Troye having trouble keeping his eyes open.

"Otay!"

Running back in after a couple minutes, Bailey climbs back up into the chair and opens to a random page in the book.

Sighing contently at the quietness, he watches as Troye slips into a deep sleep and hugs him close.

Carefully analyzing the fragile boy in his lap, Jacob jumps slightly as he grumbles incoherent words in his sleep before wrapping his arms around Jacob's torso and snuggling his face into the crook of his neck.