A/N: So, this is for Beth (Poet on the Run). She specifically requested I write a fic about Ella, Nate, and a kitten. (Her request was more specific than that but if I tell you exactly what it was there'll be no point to you reading this fic, lol.) It's also for LaPaige's prompt challenge. This one is for #19: Child. Enjoy!
Daddy
By angellwings
child
–noun, plural chil·dren.
1.
a person between birth and full growth; a boy or girl.
2.
a son or daughter.
3.
a baby or infant.
The last time Nate had seen Ella she'd been headed to her dad's for dinner. She'd been in a mood just like she always was before dinner with her dad. All he seemed to do lately was complain about her mother and Ella never wanted to hear it. Nate was surprised Ella had even gone, but she'd said something about her brother talking her into it.
It was Sunday, two days after the dinner, when Ella called him.
"Nate!"
He chuckled at the happiness in her voice. He was expecting her to be grumpy, but she wasn't. Not at all. "Hey, Ella."
"What are you doing now?"
"Um, nothing. It's Sunday."
"Yay! Can you come over? Please?"
"Sure, El, what's up?" He asked curiously.
"You'll see when you come over," She said with a chuckle. "How much time do you need?"
"Um, I can be there in twenty."
"Sweet, hurry up," Ella said excitedly before as she hung up the phone.
He laughed lightly and stared at the phone for a moment before he got his things together and left his house. He took the steps to Ella's apartment two at a time and eagerly knocked on her door. He was very curious about what had her in such a good mood.
"Hi!" She said with a bright smile as she opened the door.
"Hey," He said with a small smile. She grabbed his hand and pulled him inside. Nate kicked the door closed with his foot as Ella tugged him forward.
"Look what my brother got me! Look!" She exclaimed as she let go of his hand and picked something up out of a bundle of blankets. Nate smiled slowly as he recognized the furry bundle in her arms.
"A kitten?" Nate asked in amusement. "You called me over here to show me a kitten?"
She glared at him. "An adorable fluffy kitten!"
He smiled at her and nodded. "Right, an adorable fluffy kitten."
"If you don't want to be here then you can leave," Ella said as her smile faltered. "I just wanted to share her with someone and I thought of you first. I—I don't want to inconvinie—"
"I want to be here. Your tone just made me think you were excited over something a little…bigger than a kitten," He assured her with a chuckle.
"Kitten's may be tiny, but they're a pretty big responsibility," Ella told him.
"You're right," He said with an affectionate smile. "I'm sorry."
She smiled shyly at him. "It's okay."
Silence filled the room and Nate watched Ella play with the kitten in her arms. Ella looked up at him hopefully, and asked, "Do you want to hold her?"
Nate nodded and smiled. "Sure."
Ella placed the kitten in his hands and Nate held it against his chest. Ella chuckled as the kitten tried to climb up Nate's chest.
"Hey, hey…where do you think you're going?" He asked the tiny cat softly as he pulled it away from his shirt. The kitten's claws were stuck to the fabric and his shirt lifted off of him as he pulled. It mewed at him and clung to his shirt even more. Ella's chuckle turned into a laugh as Nate struggled to detach the kitten.
"Well, at least we know she likes you," Ella told him through her laughter.
He gave Ella a quick flash of a wide bright smile. Her heart rate sped up just a little at the sight of it. That smile was rarely ever seen. Sure, Nate smiled. But they were small smiles that rarely ever showed teeth. The smile he'd just shown her was the one that she lived for. The one that she wished he'd point in her direction more often.
"Does she have a name?"
"Hmm?" Ella asked distractedly.
"A name? Have you named her yet?"
"Oh, um, no. I can't decide on one."
"Does that mean you have a list of choices?" Nate asked with a smirk.
Ella blushed and nodded. "I have three."
"Can I hear them?"
"You promise you won't laugh?" Ella asked.
He shook his head as she finally got the kitten off of his shirt. "No."
"If you weren't holding my kitten right now I would smack you," Ella told him with a playful glare.
"Hey, I don't make promises unless I'm sure I can keep them," He told her teasingly. "Come on, they can't be that bad."
She sighed. "I've never named a pet before, okay? Keep that in mind."
His eyes widened. "Never?"
"Well, you can't name one if you've never had one. My dad was always on the road so I couldn't have one at his house and mom didn't want to deal with training anything."
He nodded. "That explains why you were so excited. Although, knowing you, you would have been excited anyway."
"Princess, Queenie, and Buttercup."
Nate let out a short barking laugh before looking between Ella and the kitten.
"I knew you'd laugh," Ella said as her shoulders sagged.
"I'm sorry," He told her with a grin. "It's just that she doesn't really look like she fits any of those names." The kitten started clawing at his dog tags and he pulled it away again. He sighed and gave the kitten a very parental glare. "C'mon, really? Can't you just sit calmly and purr a lot?"
Ella smirked. "That's what you get for laughing at my name choices."
"Ella, I'm sorry. Really. It's your kitten, you can name her whatever you like," Nate said sincerely.
"No, you're right. None of those names are quite right," She said with a sigh. She took the kitten back from him. She held it up and made various faces and cooing sounds at it. Nate smiled brightly as he watched her. She cradled the kitten in her arms with its stomach up and she lightly petted its tummy. It purred and snuggled into her arms. She gave him a thoughtful glance. "What would you name her?"
He smiled softly and stared at the kitten for a minute. "Ginny."
She blinked at him and tilted her head to the side. "Ginny?"
"Short for Genevi—" He cut himself off and winced as if he'd said too much.
"Genevieve?" Ella asked with as smiled shyly. "My middle name?"
He cleared his throat and looked down at the floor. "Yeah. I guess."
"That's sweet, Nate. I—I like it," She said as she looked down at the kitten. She leaned toward it and whispered, "Ginny?"
It mewed and glanced at her expectantly. She smiled, and glanced up at Nate.
"She likes it."
Nate smiled and nodded. "So do I."
Ella blushed and turned away from him to walk toward the couch. She brought the kitten close to her face and nuzzled its tiny nose. "You are just too cute. With your little paws, and your big eyes, and your fuzzy little body. I'm gonna take such good care of you. You're going to be so spoiled."
"She's going to have a rhinestone collar, isn't she? And little pink sweaters?" Nate asked with a knowing smirk.
"Oh, she already has a rhinestone collar. I just haven't put it on her yet. And her mommy is totally already working on a tiny pink sweater for her," Ella told him with a giggle before she turned back to the kitten. "Your mommy and daddy just love you so much. Yes they do."
Nate's brow furrowed. "What?"
Ella's eyes widened, and she looked anywhere but at him. "What?"
"Did you just say—"
She stood up and practically shoved Ginny into his arms. "Hey, are you thirsty? Would you like a Diet Coke or something?"
Ginny, who had been nearly asleep in Ella's arms, was suddenly wide awake and attempted to climb up Nate's shirt again. "Ella, hold on a second, what did you just—"
"How about a snack? Popcorn? Pretzels? I have some cookies from Mrs. Torres too if you'd like—"
"ELLA!"
Ginny hissed lightly at his tone and sunk her claws a little deeper into his shirt. Nate let out a small yelp and gently pulled her off of him. Ella hesitantly looked in his direction, but quickly closed her eyes. "Yes?"
"Did you just say 'mommy and daddy'?"
Ella kept her eyes closed. He'd never seen her so red or so flustered. She looked positively humiliated. "I—I didn't—I mean I did, but…well, it just…it slipped out. Please, don't get all weird. We can pretend I didn't say it. In fact, I think I'd prefer that. Can we just…forget it?"
Nate shook his head. "No, I don't want to forget it."
She let out a low whine. "Na-ate. I'm sorry, okay? It's just that you picked out her name and—"
"No, Ella, I don't want to forget about it because I, kind of, liked it."
Her eyes snapped open and she stared at him in shock, "What?"
He gave her a lop-sided grin. "I liked it."
Her eyes widened hopefully and she beamed at him. "You did?"
He nodded, and the next thing he knew he was falling over the back of her couch with Ella on top him. Nate cradled Ginny close to his chest with one hand and wrapped the other around Ella as she tackle hugged him. When they finally landed on the cushions Ella took Ginny from him and set her down in the bundle of blankets that had been acting as her bed. As she stretched across him the fact that they were snuggled together on her couch finally hit him. He didn't have long to think about though because as soon as Ella was sure Ginny was safe she turned back to him and brought her lips to his.
He took in a sharp breath but recovered from the sudden movement and wrapped his arms around her waist. Ella's arms wrapped tighter around his neck as he deepened the kiss. He shifted until they were both lying on their sides, and brought his hands up from her waist until they rested on the small of her back. He felt the ends of her hair against his hands and couldn't resist tangling a few of his fingers into those ends. Ella let out a soft groan as he did that and he smirked against her lips. His other hand flattened against her back and pulled her closer so he could wrap more of her hair around his fingers.
Breathing soon became an issue and they reluctantly pulled apart.
Nate kept his fingers in the ends of Ella's hair and continued to smirk. "Well, that was new for us."
Ella laughed. "I couldn't help it. It's your own fault really. I mean you were standing in my living room saying sweet things while holding a kitten…you made it impossible for me not to jump you."
"Hey, you're the one that handed me the kitten."
"Yes, but—but—"
"No comeback for that one, El?" Nate asked teasingly.
She giggled and buried her head in his chest. "No, no comeback."
"So, I'm thinking we should find a sitter for Ginny tomorrow night."
She lifted her head and peered at him curiously. "Why?
"So I can take you out to dinner," He stated as he gave her one of his brightest smiles ever.
"I'm okay with that. Besides Mitchie owes me from that time I kept Shane's dog. She'll have it easy. Pet-sitting a little baby kitten for a night will totally be easier than keeping a French bulldog for the weekend," Ella told him. She was surprised she'd been able to speak with that smile of his directed at her.
"Is that a yes?"
She nodded. "That's a definite yes. There's nothing I'd rather do."