JC couldn't help himself. It was either buy more flowers or stare at his daughter in the nursery through the window. He swore she was the most beautiful baby in the entire nursery.
"I fucking gave birth to a nine pound two ounce baby. How in the fuck do you think I feel?" Justin rolled his eyes, lying on his side on the hospital bed. He could not sit on his ass as of yet, seeing as he has gave birth twenty-four hours before.
"Elated, glorious, like a million bucks, like-"
"Are you serious? My asshole has been stretched to kingdom come and is probably out of commission for this lifetime and the next. I fucking hurt. My nipples are hard and swollen. My ass," Justin laughed bitterly, "I don't think pain can even fucking measure what I feel. So please, don't come in here, being all chipper and shit and expect to me to be preaching the joys of daddyhood."
"But wasn't Amerie worth it?" JC implored.
"Yeah. She's a keeper." Justin deadpanned.
There was a knock on the private room door.
"Come in," Justin yelled weakly.
"Hello," the RN rolled in a glass baby carrier into the room that was holding a sleeping Amerie.
"Guess who wanted to visit?" the nursed asked the infant's parents.
"Oh look, honey. It's Amerie. Isn't she precious?"
Justin nodded albeit painfully while trying to seat himself in an upright position.
"One of the cutest babies I've ever seen," the nurse replied, "Would you like to hold her, Mr. Timberlake-Chasez?" "Of course," JC took the baby from the carrier and stared in wonderment. Amerie opened her eyes to look at her father and stared back at JC briefly and closed her eyes and gurgled.
"Aw, she looked at me. You know who you daddy is, don't you? Huh, sweet pea?" JC babbled to his daughter and the room.
JC began to coo and sing sweet little songs in her ears.
Justin sighed heavily, pouted and folded his arms against his chest.
"Pain medication kicking in fine, Justin?" the nurse asked while she checked Justin's stats. "Has milk reached your nipples?"
"Yes the pain medication works but I can always use some more. And yeah, the milk is working just fine," Justin answered bashfully.
"That's great and I'll try to bring you some more Tylenol shortly. You requested to breast feed your daughter. Do you want me to demonstrate how?"
"No," Justin looked at his legs, blushing and pouting.
"Ok then if you need any help breast feeding or anything else, page the nurse's station." The nurse walked quietly out of the room leaving the little family alone.
"So Justin," JC walked to the bed and sat down next to Justin, "what's wrong?" he asked while holding their daughter against his heart.
"Nothing," Justin sighed.
"Ok. Want to try and breastfeed the munchkin?" JC implored and held the baby out for Justin to take.
"Yeah, I might as well try."
"I will turn my back so you won't get all embarrassed," JC joked.
"Shut up," Justin nudged JC with his elbow and smiled. Justin held the girl to his nipple and placed it in Amerie's mouth- who immediately latched onto the milk filled nipple and sucked.
"Looks like she's hungry," JC whispered and gently ran his fingers through the girl's downy hair.
"Yeah," Justin whispered back and the two parents watched the baby girl eat from her Papa's chest.
*`*`*`*`*`*
"I am so happy to be out the hospital, baby," Justin announced from the backseat.
The Timberlake-Chasezs were checked out of hospital today and Justin sat in the back with their precious bundle wrapped up in the car seat while JC drove them home.
"I can't wait for you to see the nursery. Amerie, sweetie, your daddy is gonna spoil you rotten," JC joked.
"What about me?" Justin asked half-seriously.
JC laughed and pulled up to their driveway and parked the jeep.
"I guess I can fit you in," JC joked.
Justin smiled briefly and sighed under his breath. He couldn't be jealous of his daughter, could he?
"I hope you got down all the details I wanted, JC. You remembered the shade of pink I wanted on the walls," Justin asked as JC opened the back door. Justin grabbed his hand and stepped down and out very slowly. Justin was still extremely sore.
"Yes," JC huffed as he went into the back and unbuckled Amerie and Justin grabbed their baby bag.
"I just want the room to be perfect. I know it's hard to do all that decorating in only three days," Justin informed his husband as the two walked to their front door and opened it. "Good cause I want to have some time for myself an-" Justin was interrupted.
"WELCOME HOME!!" a large crowd called from their foyer.
Justin opened his mouth and looked around in astonishment.
All the people who were at the baby shower four days ago were grinning back him and JC. Justin turned to look at his husband, who was grinning like he won the lottery. Justin smiled and stared at the big ass pink banner that said 'WELCOME HOME AMERIE!" Where was his banner? He gave birth to a small Buick. He deserved a damn medal.
"We wanted you to have your baby shower, Justin," Lance stepped forward to the trio, "Since a certain little miss decided to cut in."
"Thanks," Justin smiled while inwardly pouting.
He wanted some time to rest, some time alone with him, JC and the baby. Amerie hasn't opened her eyes for him since the day of her birth. She opened them numerous times for his husband, his pain in the ass doctor and the fucking nurses but never for him. Maybe Amerie didn't like him. He definitely wasn't feeling a bond between himself and the kid and now he had to smile for everyone else and watch them preen over his kid.
What about him?
"Aw, can I hold her?" Lance asked.
"Sure you can," JC smiled.
"Right after me of course. I am her grandmother," Lynn answered haughtily.
"I'll make sure you will, Lynn," Karen, JC's mother informed the pushy redhead, "Right after I do, seeing as how I am her grandmother too."
"Why Karen, you can't honestly believe that you can hold my grandbaby before me? My son gave birth to her, so I get first dibs." Lynn put her hands on her hips and glared at the woman.
"Well," Karen stared just as hard back at Lynn, "Last time I checked it takes TWO to make a baby. And if Joshua didn't use his sperm there wouldn't be a baby! So I should get first dibs!" Karen walked to Lynn and stood directly in front of her.
"This is so cool!" Chris beamed, "All we need is a tub of pudding and we can have a pudding brawl! Damn I want one at my baby shower!"
"Chris that would never, ever happen. And if you ever mention that again, we won't be having children," Lance informed his boyfriend.
"Mom!" JC handed the baby to Justin and went to calm the two women down. He brought the grandmothers into the kitchen.
Justin stared down at his daughter. She was snoozing and missing all the excitement. Figures. She was JC's kid after all.
"Aww, isn't she just the cutest thing?" someone remarked.
"I know look at her sleeping." Another smiled.
"She's a big baby. She looks pretty healthy," another well-wisher said.
"You know that she looks so cute in her pink outfit. Hey Justin, pull down her blanket a bit?"
After that Justin stopped listening to people. What about him, goddamn it? He went through all that labor to get everyone fawning over Amerie.
Justin gave the baby to first person he saw.
"I'm very tired, so I'm going to bed."
"Oh, sure, sure. We'll take good care of the darling," Justin's grandmother, Sadie, assured.
Justin smiled to no one in particular. He was happy to leave the crowd. And he slowly made his way up the stairs.
JC left the kitchen with the temporarily reconciled grandmothers and looked around the room for his husband.
"Hey Joey, you seen Justin?"
"Nope but I've seen your daughter float around through people's arms. You shouldn't do that until she gets her shots man or you'll be paying for it if she gets sick." Joey informed.
"I didn't plan to. I wonder if Justin went to the bathroom?" Joey shrugged.
"Ok everyone," Lynn began to announce, "Amerie's going into too many peoples hands. It's not good for her."
"Nope. Not one iota," Karen added in.
"We'll hold the baby," Lynn quickly scooped the infant out of some record producer's arms and snuggled the baby against her chest. "Gosh," she sniffled as she observed Amerie, "she's so beautiful."
Karen looked on jealously at Lynn. They had a coin toss to settle who would get to hold the baby first and Lynn won. Since Karen felt like she nothing to do, she announced to the crowd-
"Let's open the gifts. Joshua, you and Justin come over here so we all can watch you open the gifts."
"I'd love to Mom but I can't seem to find my husband. Baby?" JC called out but received no answer. "Justin?" JC looked around the living room, through the sea of familiar faces.
"He's not here. He went upstairs to rest. The poor dear must be exhausted. Why I remember when I gave birth to Lynn," Sadie told JC, "I was plum tuckered out for a week."
JC turned away from the babbling woman and thought about bringing his daughter upstairs to rest but he changed his mind, thinking that Justin wanted the baby to spend some time with everyone else.
JC hurriedly ran up the stairs to the second floor of their house and searched for his husband. He opened their bedroom door and found no Justin, after a brief glance.
"Baby?" he called out.
"In here," a faint reply came back. The voice came from a connecting door to Amerie's nursery.
JC walked into the open door and saw his husband sitting rather pitifully in a baby pink ottoman.
"What's wrong Justin?" JC asked as he came closer to the man and squatted on his haunches in front of Justin.
"Nothing JC," he sighed.
"Nothing JC," JC mimicked and sighed exactly like Justin.
"Shut up," Justin smiled slightly and pushed JC slightly with his index finger.
"Shut up," JC mimicked again but this time grabbing Justin's forefinger and kissing it. JC looked from under his eyelashes and asked, "What wrong? Don't like the room?"
"No, the room is fine. I love the room, you got everything exactly how I wanted it," Justin whispered.
"Then what's the problem? Pain medication not working? I can get some more if you need?" JC asked as he got up to an upright position, ready to search their medicine cabinet.
Justin grabbed his husband's hand, "No."
"You sure? Cause it's not a problem? I can-"
"Stay," Justin lightly pleaded. "Stay here with me."
"No problem but what about Amerie? We can't just-"
"She's fine right where she is," Justin stated while slightly furrowing his brows, "Stay with me, baby. Please?" Justin held on to JC's hand and pouted.
"You know I will Justin. Just-"
"Hold me?" Justin begged with tears in his eyes.
JC lifted Justin and the two slowly walked back into their room. JC carefully laid Justin onto the bed and lay down next to him and wrapped his arms around his husband.
"Baby?" JC whispered into his lover's ear, "I love you."
Justin began to lightly sob into JC's shoulder while clinging to him as if he was his lifeline.
"What's wrong baby?" JC asked yet again.
"I-I...p-pulled my stitches when I climbed the stairs, is all," Justin lied.
JC rubbed Justin's back, "Shh…Baby it's ok. Everything is going to be ok soon. The pain will wear away eventually."
Justin sobbed harder.
*`*`*`*`*`*
"Justin! Look I'm trying to deal with your…your pouty moods and your attitude and-"
"Fuck you! I just gave birth, asshole!" Justin yelled from their California king sized bed.
"Three fucking weeks ago, Justin! All you do is fucking close the curtains and lie down in the bed and mope." JC waved his arms frustratingly in the air and pulled his slightly long curls.
"I do not FUCKING MOPE, BITCH!"
"You do! And you're acting like the bitch around here, Justin. You can't hide from being Amerie's father, Justin. You never hold her or even try to-"
"So what the fuck was I doing just a motherfucking hour ago, Joshua?" Justin bellowed from his mountains of blankets and sheets.
"You fed her, Justin!" JC put his hands on his hips.
"You're god damn right!" Justin screamed even louder.
"Yeah, Justin but that's all you do," JC sighed. He was extremely stressed out from taking over Justin's role and his. He was multi-tasking; taking care of Amerie was a twenty-five hour a day job plus he had to baby-sit Justin as well.
"You don't bond with her Justin," JC pointed out tiredly.
"Um, hello JC, pointing out the obvious here but I've carried her in my body for nine months. I don't think you can bond anymore than that!" Justin screeched.
"No Justin! That's not just it! You don't change her! You don't hug her! Or sing to her! Or look at her at night, just to see if everything is okay! Or play with her!"
"She's just a fucking baby!"
JC sobbed, "I don't think you love her!" he whispered.
"I-I," Justin stuttered at the curveball JC threw at him, "I-I…do," he whispered, sounding as if he was unsure. Then he sunk even lower into his covers until only his head poked out realizing that he, Justin Timberlake-Chasez, was jealous of a tiny, three-week old baby. But he'll be damned if it admitted to it. Besides it wasn't as if his husband would notice. All JC did was cater to the infant twenty-four seven.
"Baby," JC walked to his husband, his Justin and pleaded with him. "Listen, I think you're suffering from Post Partum depression. I was reading about it online and I think you're-"
"Shut up, JC. I am not crazy or fucking depressed! That shit happens to weak people and I'm not fucking WEAK! I gave birth to a big ass baby! Did you see me fucking break down?! NO! I didn't!! So you get the fuck out of here!!" Justin ordered.
"Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa…" Miss Amerie cried. Her screaming Papa woke her from her slumber.
"Great Justin. You woke her up. It's going to be hell to put her back to sleep," JC huffed.
"Well you better get to it," Justin pouted from under his sheets.
"Nuh-uh. You wanted me to get the fuck out of here and I'll do you the fucking honor," JC spoke over his daughter's wailing.
"What are you talking about?" Justin gaped at his husband.
"I'm taking your advice, honey," JC grabbed his coat from his closet, "I'll leave." He was fed up Justin and his incessant whining. Adding that to his taking care Amerie by himself, JC was extremely stressed.
"You can't!"
"I can and will."
"It's after midnight, where exactly do you think you're going to go?"
"I don't know. I feel like a drink. Or maybe I'll have two. I don't want to be around you right now, Justin," JC threw back over his shoulder and headed for the stairs.
Justin stood up and looked to the nursery door where Amerie's screams were going on full force.
He could not handle that.
He was not going to handle that.
Justin ran out of the bedroom to chase JC, who was walking to the front door downstairs.
"Wait! JC, you can't leave me here with her! I don't know what to do!" Justin admitted.
JC opened the front door and looked back at Justin, "You're her Papa, Justin. It shouldn't be too hard," and he left.
Justin sat down on the stairs and tried to ignore Amerie's wails and screams but he couldn't. He swore she just got louder as each second past by.
"Shit."
*`*`*`*`*`*
"Look, baby, I'll buy you a fucking pony if you just shut up," Justin begged the crying girl, who he was rocking in the ottoman in her room.
Amerie kept on bawling.
"Please, please, please," Justin was close to tears. He didn't know what else he could do.
He tried feeding her but she wasn't hungry.
He tried changing her but all he got was piss in his face.
He played the mobile in the crib and the nature sound machine but it didn't do anything except piss her off more. Justin couldn't blame her cause that shit was annoying to him too.
"God, Amerie, I need for you stop please? I'm getting a headache honey and I feel miserable too. I know I'm not great at being all paternal and shit- don't tell your daddy I cursed in front of you, okay. I know you're probably wishing for me to be JC but I can't. I'm just plain 'ol me. I don't know what to do with you baby. I wish you could help me," Justin sniffed.
Amerie opened her eyes to stare at her Papa.
"Oh my God, you're looking at me. You never look at me baby," Justin hiccupped, "You're so beautiful."
The infant stopped crying to look at the man who gave birth to her.
"You like hearing your Papa dish out the compliments, huh pretty girl?" Justin laughed and sniffed, "You better be or you can't be my kid," Justin joked and stared at his daughter, his Amerie.
"I'm so sorry I wasn't a good Papa to you, honey. I do love you. I just didn't know how to do that at first. But I swear I will now, baby. You're my sunshine baby," Justin whispered into his daughter's ear.
He began to sing 'You are My Sunshine' to his darling daughter and Amerie, who was not used to hearing her milkman sing stared openly and smiled.
"You're smiling," Justin announced in the room, "You're smiling for me," Justin giggled and smiled.
The baby made a soft gurgling sound.
"Oh I love that sound. I love you. I love you so fucking much, Amerie."
"Don't curse," JC whispered, "You're going make a bad impression."
Justin smirked, "It's not like she's gonna repeat it anytime soon."
JC walked into the room and pulled a cushioned stool to the front of the ottoman to watch his child and his husband bond.
"Has Papa been teaching you curses, baby doll?" JC asked Amerie.
"Hell no," Justin teased, "I'm being all paternal and shit. Cussing in front of a baby is like a fucking crime," he beamed.
"I love you," JC said seriously.
Justin felt tears pinprick behind his eyelids, "I love you too baby but not as much as Amerie. I am so in love with her. She's my miracle."
"I know. Baby, we can get some you help if you want?" JC asked
"Nah, I don't think I'll need it anymore. Amerie has straightened me out."
"That's good. Me and Amerie, we're this team, see? We knew you'll fall under our spell sooner or later."
"Can I join?"
"You've always been a part of it. You just didn't want to participate," JC wink and stood up to kiss his husbands lips.
A tiny peck turned out to be a full-fledged makeout session over a sleeping Amerie.
"You don't taste like alcohol," Justin licked his puckered lips.
"That's cause I didn't drink. I can't do that and drive home. Put Amerie in the bassinet and let me show you something," JC licked his lips seductively and made his way out of the room.
"But I can't have sex for three months, baby," Justin reminded his husband.
"Yeah," JC unbuckled his pants and threw his pants on the floor, "you can't…but I can," JC winked and took his shirt off and threw it at Justin, "Better hurry…before I start by myself."
Justin hurriedly but gently placed his daughter in the white bassinet.
"You're Papa's gonna get him some of that fine Chasez ass. A wonderful, scrumptious, morsel that will be devoured…by your Papa, tonight." Justin sung to his sleeping child.
"Not in front of the kid," JC warned from their bedroom.
"His ears are too fucking clean," he whispered into the baby ears.
"It's called a baby monitor, Justin," JC answered.
"Oh…well, shit."
The End