Time Runs Through Our Veins.

There is nothing cuter than Nolan when he's tired. Nothing. 

First he gets cranky and demanding. He refuses to be touched and everything that comes out of his mouth is sarcastic. 

That little bitch fit only lasts about five minutes. After that he apologizes for it excessively and is almost in tears with worry that you're upset with him. 

After you've calmed him down (my method is with kisses and hugs), he clings to you for dear life as if, if he let's go, he'll be dragged away by a thousand monsters. All you can do I cling back and let him yawn repeatedly. 

"Nolan, baby, you wanna go take a nap?" I ask, muting the TV causing Jordan to whine in protest.

Nolan's eyes get wide. "No! I don't wanna leave." 

"Hey, you don't have to go anywhere. Well, just upstairs. You can sleep in my bed. 

"Will you come too?" He yawns adorably. 

I smile and nod, standing up and pulling him up with me. He leans all of his weight on my side and yawns once again. 

I can't help but laugh at his cuteness ad I sweep him into my arms. 

He burrows his head in the crook of my neck as I carry him upstairs. A small whine of protest leaves his mouth when I set him down on my bed but he sighs in content when I climb in next to him. 

It seems as if he wraps himself entirely around me before his eyes close and his breathing evens. I can't help myself and end up running my fingers through his hair and down his face, down his back and over his hips. I touch every inch of him lightly so as not to wake him. 

His fists ball up in my shirt and his mouth hangs open slightly, a small smile on his lips. I can't believe I ever lived without him. I can't believe there was a time that I didn't want him around. My, how things change. 

Almost an hour passes before we're disturbed by the ring of my phone. I grab it quickly hoping that Nolan won't be disturbed. "Hello?"

"Hey, Ry, what're you up to?" A familiar voice greets.

Nolan stirs and I quietly slide out from under him. "Just hanging out with Nolan. Why?" 

"I'm getting the team tougher for a pre-season game. You want in?" Kyle asks. Kyle is my co-captain on the baseball team. 

I smile and give him an enthusiastic yes, promising to be at the park in a few hours. 

Baseball has always been one of my favorite things. Well, maybe not always. At first it something mom made ma and Jordan do for unfathomable reasons like church and flu shots. Eventually I got really good at it. There's nothing like having a hundred pairs of eyes on you while you're alone in your thoughts on the pitchers mound. 

Jordan, however, hates the sport and honestly? The sport hated him too. Mom saw how miserable he was and let him quit. When she offered the same thing to me o refused and that's where out identical path ended. After that Jordan spent his free time analyzing movies from the 70's and I spent mine with guys from the team. Not that I mind, though. Without that change of path I might not have met Nolan. 

I slip the phone into my pocket and turn back to the bed where Nolan is now sitting up.

"Ry-Ry?" He asks, rubbing the sleep from his eyes lazily. 

"Yeah, baby? What is it?" I perch on the end of the bed and becon the beautiful boy over to me with open arms. 

He graciously climbs into my lap and melts into my chest as I wrap my arms around him. "Who was that?"

"Kyle. Baseball conditioning starts next week and he wants to get in a pre-season game. It's a tradition." 

"Oh." He looks down at his hands with a sad expression on his face. 

"What's wrong?" I ask, drawing his eyes up to meet mine.

"I forgot about baseball season. That's just less time I get to spend with you." 

"Baby, don't think like that. You'll come to games, right? And we have open practices so you can come to those too. Plus there's the victory parties we'll be having and the nights we'll get to spend together because of the after party laziness." 

"Plus all those guys in the tight baseball pants...."

"Um....hello. Boyfriend sitting right here." 

He grins playfully. "I was only kidding. I'll be to busy looking at you." Nolan leans up and kisses my cheek. "Baseball might not be so bad after all." 

It's only a matter of time....