Stay With Me

"Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others." -Philippians 2:4

For once in a long time, all of us sat together in the boys’ living room; Danny, Tom, Dougie, Harry, Nathan and me.

I missed them so much.

Danny kissed Nate, who was sitting on his lap, and he kept telling Nate how he was three years old in a really cute baby voice.

My body felt all warm and fuzzy watching Danny interact with Little Nate.

“Are you two going to do anything tonight for Valentine’s Day? We can watch Nathan for you,” Harry asked us.

I looked at Danny, he looking back, “I don’t mind doing something. It has been a long time since we’ve gone out together. What do you think, Danny?”

He grinned, letting Nathan stand up and wobble over to Tom. “Sure. We could use a night together.”

“Sweet,” I grinned and watched Tom play with Nathan. “We really should do something for Little Nate’s birthday.”

“You two should go to the zoo. Let Nathan see some animals,” Harry suggested.

“And lizards!” Dougie squealed.

“I love the zoo!” I exclaimed, throwing my arms in the air and causing Nate to look up at me curiously.

He giggled and lifted his hand in the air like me. Tom grabbed his attention and then did the same to make Nathan giggle more.

Harry chuckled, “I was suggesting the zoo for Nate.”

Blushing, I smiled guiltily, “Sorry. I just got excited.”

Danny wrapped his arms around me and pulled me onto his lap. “I can make it my gift to you.”

“Yay!” I threw my arms in the air again, “I get to go to the zoo!”

Nathan looked at me again and then clumsily walked over with his arms open. “Mommy!” he exclaimed, crawling onto my lap.

“Hey, Nathan,” I cooed. “You wanna go see some animals?”

“Yeah! Yeah!” Nate cheered, wrapping his arms around my neck. “Lon! Lon!”

I giggled, “Yes, we’ll see the lions.”

“You understood that?” Dougie questioned in disbelief.

“He is my baby,” I snickered, and then put my head back on Danny’s shoulder to look at him. “We ready to go now?”

He kissed the side of my head, “Sure. I’ll go get Nathan’s jacket.”

“Okay,” I kissed his cheek.

Standing up, I handed Nate to Danny and then rushed upstairs to my room. I grabbed the nearest hoodie, conveniently one of Danny’s, and then I skipped back to where Danny was struggling to get Nathan in his coat.

“Here,” I snickered, carefully forcing Nathan’s hand through the arm of the jacket, and then zipping up the coat.

Danny stared at me and I blushed.

“What?”

He grinned stupidly, “You’re amazing.”

“I just put his jacket on, Danny,” I replied in amusement.

Danny’s lips touched mine powerfully, but disappeared before I could respond.

“What was that for?”

“You turn me on,” Danny replied casually, picking Nate up and putting him in his stroller.

My face turned scarlet, “D-Danny!”

“Oh quit flirting and go already!” Harry called from the living room. “You’re giving us stomach aches!”

A silly giggle escaped Danny’s lips as he opened the door and held his hand out to me.
“Let’s go,” he grinned.

Our hands came together, our fingers intertwining, and we left the house, Nathan repeating “Lon!” to the air.

“Lon!” Nathan squealed, pointing at the lion behind the glass. “Lon!”

“Yep! It’s a lion!” Danny grinned, holding his son’s hands as he sat on his shoulders.

I giggled at the sight and I got an adorable look from Danny.

“What?” he questioned curiously, turning away from the lions.

“You’re just too cute,” I smiled.

Danny put a few inches between us and he just stared at me with a small smile.

My face turned red under his gaze and I let my eyes fall away from his eyes.

“You sure we can’t… break the rules again?” Danny eventually asked in a low voice, stepping closer to me so our hips touched.

“Danny,” I scolded, not being able to hide my smile. “I’m not going to do it again… at least not now. If we were married then that would be another story… but we’re not and what did that have to do with me calling you cute?”

“It’s all I can think about right now.” He gazed at me intently, “You were beautiful… Not that you aren’t now.”

We started walking away from the lions and I rolled my eyes.

“You’re only saying that because you wanna see me naked again,” I replied in a casual tone that surprised me.

I felt Danny’s arm wrap around my waist, “I wouldn’t be complaining if I did, but really, you’re beautiful.”

“Thanks, Hon,” I smiled and kissed his cheek. “But I’m not letting you see anymore of me until we’re hitched… I mean… if we ever do… get hitched…”

Danny gave me a cheeky grin when he saw my face change colors, but he didn’t say a word.

“Okay… I wasn’t expecting that kind of answer. What are you up to in that crazy head of yours?”

“Who said I was up to something? I was only smiling at you,” Danny replied with a hint of amusement in his voice.

“Ho-sey! Ho-sey!” Nathan cheered, grabbing both of our attention.

Danny knelt by Nathan, “What do you wanna see?”

“Ho-sey!” he giggled, pointing towards the zebras.

“That’s a zebra. Zee-brah,” Danny corrected, elongating the word for Nathan to understand.

Nathan’s smile went away and a look of concentration fell on his features. He placed his small hands on Danny’s mouth to feel how his lips moved when he said the word.

“Zee-brah,” Danny repeated with a grin.

“Se… See-br… See… brah. See-brah!” Nathan exclaimed when he finally got it. “See-brah!”

His daddy clapped and kissed his tiny hands. “You’re getting there.”

“See-brah! See-brah!”

My cheeks hurt from grinning for so long. Watching Danny and Nathan together was just so adorable and made me so happy.

Danny stood up straight, rising a hand in the air, “To the zebras!”

Then he pushed the stroller to the zebras, Little Nathan squealing in excitement and me following with an enormous grin.

It wasn’t until four in the afternoon when Danny and I decided to go home so we could get ourselves ready for our date.

I was so excited.

Little Nathan was totally out by the time we got home, his new lion plush held tightly in his little arms.

“I’ll put him in bed,” Danny announced, picking Nate up and then kissing me gently. He winked at me before going inside and taking Nate upstairs.

I turned pink and followed him in, putting the stroller by the door and out of the way.

“How was the zoo?” Harry suddenly asked me, looking away from the show he was watching on the t.v.

“It was wicked fun. Nathan really enjoyed seeing so many animals and Danny taught him how to say zebra and hippo and a few other words. It was so cute,” I gushed.

Harry chuckled, “Sounds like fun.”

I smiled and then Danny came back downstairs, hanging his coat up.

“Wear something nice tonight, okay? It doesn’t have to be fancy, just nice,” he said to me.

“Yeah, sure. What time are we going?”

“Whenever you’re ready, love.”

He planted a tiny kiss on my nose and then he kissed my lips.

“You two are making me sick! Can you kiss somewhere else?”

“We could, but having someone around keeps us from doing very bad things,” Danny answered, winking at me again.

“Then go marry her so you can get your own house and do whatever you please with each other.”

Danny and I both blushed at Harry’s words, Danny looking down shyly.

“Um… I’m going to go get ready,” I announced before scurrying up to my room.

Way to make me embarrassed Harry… Way to go…