Broken Notes - A Two and a Half Men Fanfic

The sound of cereal crunching filled the kitchen as Nero leaned casually against the counter, a lazy smile tugging at his lips. Across from him, Jake was hunched over a bowl, spilling half the contents on the table as he ate with wild abandon. Typical.

"Slow down" Nero said, taking a sip of his coffee. "It's cereal, not a race."

Jake looked up, his face smeared with milk. "Huh?"

Nero shook his head, smirking. This was what life had turned into now—constant chaos, courtesy of Jake. He didn't mind it, not really. It was just… different. Life with Charlie had been unpredictable before, but this? This was a whole new level.

From the other side of the kitchen, Alan rushed in, looking like he was already about to break a sweat. He zeroed in on Jake and the mess that was accumulating on the table.

"Jake, careful!" Alan cried, grabbing a napkin to clean up the milk dripping onto the floor. "We're guests here. We can't make a mess."

Jake just shrugged, too focused on his next spoonful of cereal to care. Nero raised an eyebrow, watching as Alan flustered around, fussing like some overworked babysitter.

"Alan, relax," Nero said with a playful grin. "The kitchen's seen worse. Trust me."

Alan shot him a nervous glance. "I just don't want to impose more than we already have. We're… we're trying to be respectful."

Nero chuckled. "Pretty sure Charlie's not worried about a few cereal crumbs, Alan."

Just then, Charlie strolled into the kitchen, wearing his usual carefree grin. "Morning, Nero. Jake," he said before raising an eyebrow at Alan. "And there's our very own stress ball. Alan, you might want to ease up a little, or you're gonna have a stroke before lunch."

Alan gave a weak smile, clearly still trying to adjust to the casual vibe of Charlie's house. Nero smirked, taking another sip of his coffee, enjoying the show.

"So what's the plan today?" Nero asked, glancing over at Charlie. "We making a run for it?"

Charlie raised an eyebrow. "Tempting, but I figured I'd stick around to watch the show." He gestured at Alan and Jake. "These two are comedy gold."

"Yeah, except Jake's the only one who doesn't realize he's part of the act," Nero quipped, flashing Jake a grin. Jake looked up, milk dripping from his spoon, clearly confused.

"Am I in a play?" Jake asked, genuinely curious.

Nero chuckled. "In a way, yeah. Just go with it."

Later that morning, Nero found himself sitting at the piano, casually playing a few chords while Jake hovered nearby. Jake had been following him around all day, asking random questions, most of which didn't make sense. But now, he seemed fixated on the piano, watching as Nero's fingers moved across the keys.

"Can you show me how to do that?" Jake asked, wide-eyed.

Nero glanced over, surprised. "You wanna learn piano?"

Jake shrugged. "Kinda. It looks cool."

Nero hesitated for a moment, then shrugged. "Alright, come here."

Jake shuffled over, sitting next to Nero on the bench. Nero showed him a few basic chords, keeping it simple. Jake tried to mimic the movements, his fingers awkwardly pressing the wrong keys, but he was focused, and that was more than Nero had expected.

"Not bad for a first try," Nero said, ruffling Jake's hair. "With practice, you might be able to play a song."

Jake grinned. "I'll be as good as you in no time."

Nero smiled to himself. "We'll see, kid. We'll see."

It was weird—he hadn't expected to connect with Jake, but here they were, sitting at the piano like it was the most natural thing in the world. Maybe Jake wasn't so bad after all.

As the day went on, Alan's anxious energy continued to fill the house. Every time Jake dropped something, Alan was there, ready to clean it up or offer some awkward fatherly advice.

At one point, Alan approached Nero while he was lounging on the couch, playing his guitar. "Nero, can I, uh, talk to you for a second?"

Nero glanced up, raising an eyebrow. "Sure, what's up?"

Alan fidgeted, clearly uncomfortable. "I've noticed, um… you and Jake seem to be getting along well."

Nero shrugged. "Yeah, the kid's alright. A little messy, but nothing I can't handle."

"Well, that's kind of what I wanted to talk to you about," Alan said, glancing nervously at Jake, who was busy messing around with Charlie's remote control. "I appreciate you spending time with Jake, but maybe… maybe tone down some of the, uh, lifestyle lessons?"

Nero blinked, confused. "Lifestyle lessons?"

"You know… the, um, the confidence. The, uh… charm," Alan stammered, looking increasingly flustered. "I just don't want Jake picking up certain habits."

Nero smirked, leaning back on the couch. "You mean, you don't want him turning into Charlie."

Alan hesitated. "Well, I just think it's important that Jake grows up with the right values."

Nero leaned forward, his smirk fading. "Look, Alan, I'm not trying to turn Jake into anything. But if he picks up a little confidence, is that really such a bad thing?"

Alan seemed thrown off by Nero's bluntness. "I'm just saying, he's still young. Impressionable."

"And I'm just saying," Nero replied coolly, "I'm not trying to raise your kid. But he's gonna grow up one way or another. Better he learns some of that confidence now than later."

Alan opened his mouth to argue but then seemed to think better of it. He nodded awkwardly before retreating, leaving Nero alone with his guitar. Alan's awkward parenting style clearly wasn't going to change anytime soon.

By the time the sun started setting, Nero was feeling the weight of the day. The constant chaos, the messes, and Alan's overprotectiveness were starting to get to him. Charlie seemed to feel it too, his usual laid-back demeanor starting to show cracks.

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but I need a break," Charlie muttered, collapsing onto the couch next to Nero. "How do parents do this every day?"

Nero chuckled, stretching his arms behind his head. "You're getting soft, man. A couple of days with Jake and Alan, and you're already cracking."

Charlie groaned. "Don't remind me. We need to get out of here. Maybe hit the beach tonight, get away from all the… this."

Nero considered it. "I'm in. Besides, you're not the only one who needs to blow off some steam."

Charlie grinned. "That's the spirit. I'm thinking we hit the bar, maybe meet some new faces—female faces."

Nero rolled his eyes but smiled. "Now you're talking."

As they started planning their escape, Jake wandered into the living room, looking exhausted but still curious.

"Where are you guys going?" Jake asked, looking between them.

Nero glanced at Charlie, and they shared a quick, silent conversation. The kid was starting to grow on Nero, but this wasn't the time for a third wheel.

"Nowhere special, kid," Nero said, ruffling Jake's hair. "Just a little adult time."

Jake pouted. "I wanna come."

Charlie groaned. "Sorry, buddy. This one's for grown-ups."

Jake sighed but didn't argue. He wandered off again, clearly disappointed but too tired to protest.

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Author here:

So just so you know, the bar is a music bar where Nero has performed several times and is already well-known

Oh, and double upload... Yeet