Plans to Make & Hearts to Break

"Wake up, sleepy."

I rolled over in my sleep and let out a tired sigh. I was sleepy, therefore, I was not getting out of bed. I felt a set of hands lightly rock me. I quickly swatted at the hands and rolled away again.

"Nicole." A voice sighed.

It was quiet for a moment after that before I felt a pair of lips press to mine. I kissed back for a moment before opening my eyes and seeing William giving me one of his goofy grins.

"Good morning."

"Are you sneaking into my house again?" I asked, sleepily as I sat up in bed.

"The vet called me and said we could go pick up Apollo." He smiled. "I tried calling you but you didn't answer."

I looked from William to my phone that was hooked to its charger next to the bed. I unlocked the screen and looked at my recent calls. Three from William. I frowned at the fact that Danny still hadn't called me. Still, just that half-assed text from when he arrived. But to go days without even calling was very unlike him. If he was too busy to even call me and let me know he was okay then I guess I was too busy for him. I hit the power button on my phone, shutting it off.

"You didn't try very hard to call me."

"I called three times," William pouted and flopped down on the bed next to me. "Besides I figured waking you up like this would be more fun. I mean why wouldn't someone want to wake to this face in the morning?"

I grinned at him. "Breaking and entering?"

"You gave me a key." He answered reaching for me and pulling me into his side. "So I have done nothing illegal."

"I'm pretty sure I left it there for me to use when I lock myself out of my house."

"I don't see the problem." William grinned. "I was locked out so I used it."

I rolled my eyes but couldn't help the smile that captured my lips.

"I love it when you smile." William smiled back at me softly.

I sat back up and pulled away from him. I had to stop letting him be so affectionate with me. It was only going to make things so much worse if when he found out about Danny.

"Why didn't you just go get Apollo by yourself?" I asked, forcing myself out of the warm comfortable bed and William's arms.

William let out a fake gasp. "You don't want to go with me to get our son from the hospital?"

Another eye roll.

"It's not like he broke his leg, don't be so dramatic." I answered pulling a pair of black skinny jeans out of my dresser.

"He had fleas." William argued in a childish tone.

"All animals get fleas at least once in their life. Now go wait for me in the living room." I tried to usher him out of my bedroom.

He grabbed my hand and had me pulled back into the bed before I could blink and pinned me down under him. "You are going to kick me out?" He pouted, his face hovering over mine.

I tried to wiggle free of him. "I have to take a shower so we can go get Apollo."

"Shower?" William grinned "Want some company?"

My face and ears turned bright red with a blush. "Certainly not." I managed to sputter out.

"You're just going to leave me alone?" He asked, hands moving to my sides. "That is so cruel."

"We have to go get Apollo." I answered almost wiggling free of him.

He grabbed my sides, holding me in place. "I think he can wait a few more minutes. You are a little busy."

"I-I am?" I asked, looking up into face, worried about what he was gonna go next.

The greatest fear came true as he started tickling my sides. I screeched and squirmed, trying to get him to let go.

"Why are you so mean?" I gasped between breaths.

"Mean?" William asked, still tickling me. "Is that what you think of me?"

"Yes."

"Well if I'm so mean I guess I can't stop tickling you. Being nice would ruin my reputation of evil."

I couldn't handle the tickling much longer without dying so I did the only thing I could think of. I leaned up and pressed my lips hard against his. He jerked back for a moment in surprise before kissing me deeper than I had kissed him. I decided to give him a taste of his own medicine and placed my hands on his sides, tickling him. He chuckled against my lips before catching my wrist in his hands and pulling away.

"I'm not ticklish." He grinned.

"That is not fair." I pouted.

"It's fair." He grinned before giving me another quick kiss. He flopped back onto the bed next to me. "Go take your shower. I'll be waiting downstairs."

-------------

"Mrow."

"Here he is." The vet assistant smiled handing the little ball of orange fur to William while I paid.

William smiled and held Apollo to his chest and scratch him behind the ears softly. Apollo was just small enough to fit in one of William's hands. The kitten halfheartedly swatted at William's fingers.

"His fleas are gone, nails clipped and all his shots are up to date." The woman smiled as she handed me the receipt.

"Thank you." I smiled.

"I have something for you." William told the kitten as we walked back to William's car.

The kitten who was now in my arms let out a small meow, looking at William. William paused and pulled something small out of his back pocket. It was a small black collar with little orange suns decorated on it. I looked at the sun shaped tag as William clipped the collar around the kitten's neck. One side read Apollo Beckett with The Sun God below it. I flipped the tag around and found my my name and William's with both our numbers.

"Now if he gets lost someone can call us and bring him home." William smiled, watching me read the tag.

"Why is my cat's last name Beckett?" I asked with a smirk.

"Because my son will have my last name." William smirked "Even if his mother doesn't yet."

"Yet?" I asked, eyebrow raised.

William smiled opening the passenger door for me. "We have a son together, Nicole, sooner or later you are gonna realize what a great father I am and want to marry me. It is just a matter of time."

Again, I couldn't help but roll my eyes. "I'll let you think whatever helps you sleep at night," I teased.

---

Once we were back home, William and I parted ways for a while so I could actually get some work done and he could.. do whatever it was he does in his spare time. Sometimes, I wasn't sure I wanted to know.

My trance-like stare at the mostly empty word document was broken when I heard a rattling coming from my living room. Slowly, I moved to the hallway a sleepy Apollo rubbing his sides against my ankles. As I bent down to pick him up, I heard the familiar voice of my neighbor; "Honey, I'm home!"

My eyes were going to roll out if he kept this up. "You need to stop breaking into my house!" I yelled. "You'll give me a heart attack!"

"If you didn't lock your door I wouldn't have to unlock it to get inside, would I? Nope. You being scared is obviously your own fault." As he spoke this nonsense I walked towards the living room, and Apollo squirmed in my arms, letting out a weak meow towards William. "I think my son wants to see me," He smirked, closing the few steps between us and taking the kitten from my arms. Almost instantly, Apollo was purring. Before either of us could really comprehend what was happening, the kitten stuck his tiny front claws into William's shirt and climbed, until he was resting on his shoulder.

"He's a parrot, not a cat." I said, unable to hold back a wide grin. Obviously, I wasn't the only one who saw that William was easy to like.

"Unfortunately, Apollo, you can't stay on this perch for long," William grinned, turning his head slightly. His movements were slow and calculated, so Apollo could keep his balance. "If I remember correctly, your mother promised me another date."

In response, Apollo leaned his face towards William's sniffing his nose. His rough tongue touched the very tip of William's nose for a moment, and William grinned; but the expression was short lived as the kitten's next action was to bite William's nose. "You jerk." William laughed, finally removing the kitten from his shoulder.

"I did, didn't I?" I spoke quietly. "I am not dressed to go anywhere," I pouted, looking towards my black pajama pants and plain shirt.

"Well, I guess you'll have to change that," William smirked before moving to sit on the couch. "I can wait."

---

And, change I did. By the time William and I reached the bar, I had gone from being reluctant about this date to actually enjoying it. And, the glass full of an unfamiliar but delicious mixed drink that I was drinking was not making the night any worse. I was already starting to feel the warmth of the alcohol in my cheeks by the time William sat on stage with his guitar.

"I've got a short set tonight," He spoke into the microphone. "Just one song, actually. But I've gotta let it out, I guess." He looked straight into my eyes and I couldn't help but blush.

"You let me in and you're still getting dressed,
you take the time to always look your best.
There's a million people just like me,
but there's no one I'd dare compare to you.

We're at the show under the marquee.
You light a smoke and then lean into me;
there's a million people just like me,
but there's no one I'd dare compare to you, no.

Daunting daydream, haunting heartstrings.

Love, am I tall enough to reach such heights
and walk that line without looking down?
Alright!

Behind the wheel as you crack a smile,
I'm trying hard to make it worth your while.
There's a million people just like me
but there's no one I'd dare compare to you

And then at home, I know what's on your mind.
You're staring hard across the room with that look in your eyes...
and there's no one I'd dare compare to you.

Daunting daydream, haunting heartstrings.

Love, am I tall enough to reach such heights
and walk that line without looking down?
Thank you my dear for getting me the strength I fear
I would not find without you around.

Daunting daydream, haunt my heartstrings.

Love, am I tall enough to reach such heights
and walk that line without looking down?
Well, thank you my dear for getting me the strength I fear
I would not find without you around, oh no."