"Adam is on a date."

"Really?" Erin looked a little shocked. Not only because she was surprised that Adam would go on a date with anyone and also because Kim seemed okay with it. Content probably wasn't the word one would use to describe them at the moment but they were growing closer to each other and everyone hoped it would lead somewhere soon. They were clearly in love with each other, even a blind man could see that.

"With Daisy."

"Ah, makes sense now." She hummed as she sipped her wine.

"What do you mean?"

"Well you looked calm, I thought you'd be freaking out if he was dating anyone else and I don't think he wants to be with anyone but you." They were sitting by the large window enjoying the warm winter sun that had broken through for a few hours. It was arctic outside but this was perfect.

"Yes, but there is nothing going on between us so technically he can date if he wants to."

"Yes, yes he can but neither of you wants that to happen. So I call bullshit."

"Yeah okay, I would be jealous. I am jealous in fact. Daisy couldn't wait to go out with Adam today. Both my kids would rather spend time with Adam than me at the moment." Kim huffed a little and Erin chuckled at the little tinge of green she saw.

"Oliver loves spending time with both of you, together. Even Jay can see that, and he sees nothing." Erin jumped up from the table and grabbed some more crackers for their cheese plate. It wasn't often they got to sit back and put their feet up and gossip anymore. Jay had taken Grace over to see Will so they had the afternoon free and this was a perfect way to spend it. Oliver was at a friend's place, it was better than him sulking at home because his Dad was out with his sister so Kim had jumped at the offer for some long overdue wine time. "Daisy adores him. How cute would they be?"

"They were very cute, trust me." Kim giggled. "He's taking her to lunch then and indoor playground. I can imagine him climbing all over those slides with her. He's such a big kid."

"How's Oliver coping with that?"

"He wasn't initially happy about it but Adam convinced him it was good thing because if Daisy liked him that meant he could spend more time at the house and they would be together more often."

"Or you could just start sleeping with him and he'd been around all the time."

"Or not." Kim shut her down with a swift look. People needed to stop nagging them, she knew that Atwater had be chipping away at Adam as well. He had told her how frustrating it was and that it just piled on pressure that he couldn't cope with. She had asked Kevin to back off and thankfully he had.

"I am really not trying to pressure you, I know it had to take time and you wanted Adam and Oliver to bond, but they have, they are rock solid and we can all see the love you two share. I just want you both to be happy." Erin argued.

"I know Erin, I really do. We are trying. We are getting there but there is no time limit, we aren't doing that to ourselves." Kim was trying to not sound frustrated but it was frustrating her and wearing her down.

Daisy could barely sit still long enough to even eat breakfast. Once Kim had told her that Adam was going to take her out for lunch she literally squealed with delight and at one stage, when Adam still hadn't arrived despite it being barely 8am she had grabbed Oliver's phone and asked him to call Adam.

They had spent a good twenty minutes deciding what to wear. She wanted to wear her 'pretty green dress'

"It's too cold for that Baby and I think he wants to go to that big playground so a dress won't work."

Her little pout was cute, but ultimately unsuccessful. "But it's pretty. Adam likes it." Although truthfully Adam told her he loved anything Daisy wore so that wasn't going to win Kim over. Kim promised her she could wear the dress one night when Adam came for dinner.

"Yes he does but it's cold outside and Adam will be worried about you getting cold." He was constantly freaking out that the kids would get too cold. It was surprising what he worried about. That, she had learnt came about after he had spent a few hours locked outside as a child in a freezing winter. Years ago it never bothered him but a switch had been flipped and now things like this had the ability to send him off the rails. All Kim had to do to prevent it was make sure they had warm clothes. Other times controlling his anxiety wasn't as easy or simple.

They eventually decided on a pair of leggings, her Ugg boots, a white shirt and flowery cardigan. Kim braided her hair and she sat and waited. It had been the longest week of her life and for someone who had little concept of time it was excruciating. Every morning she would ask it today was the day and was always disappointed when Kim said no. Today however, was the day and she was beyond excited.

As they left, Adam barely was allowed in the house. Daisy had him by the hand and was marching him back to his car the moment Kim opened the door, Kim smiled at the memory of the whole evening that Daisy got her man as Adam just looked over his shoulder at her and winked.

"Adam."

Daisy had climbed into his lap after dinner. He still came over most Sunday nights for dinner even when things were bumpy. Right now though they were on an even keel. "Yes Daisy."

"I want to go with you one day like Oliver does."

"Daisy." He cooed, winking at her sweetly. "Are you asking me out of a date?" Daisy giggled as he hugged her tightly and kissed her cheek.

"Can we?"

"If your Mom says it's okay." She climbed down off his lap and ran into the kitchen to find her mother before Adam could say another word. He chuckled as he heard Daisy yelling at her mother.

"Mom, Adam says yes."

"To what?" she felt like she had missed a whole conversation somehow. However that wasn't completely uncommon lately. When those three got together anything could happen. Adam, Oliver and Daisy often ganged up on Kim and she just loved hearing the happiness in her house again.

"We going out." She grabbed Kim's hand, her excitement spilling out of her face that was lit like Christmas. "It's a date. Me and Adam."

"Really?" Well this was news and Kim knew one sure way to crush her daughter was to say no. Why would she want to though? She wanted Adam and her daughter to have a good relationship, they had to if this was going to work.

"Yes." Daisy followed Kim back into the lounge where Adam and Oliver were now playing a video game.

"What's this about a date?"

"You jealous?" He didn't take his eyes off the screen but he did smile.

Kim crossed her arms across her chest and tried to look annoyed while Daisy continued to dance around the room. "Well what do I have to do to get a date?"

Briefly he looked at her and winked. "Sitting on my lap and begging would probably help. That's what Daisy did."

"I did, I did." She was still on top the world. "It worked."

Once Daisy had calmed down and that took a while after they agreed that she could go out with Adam on Saturday Kim did sit in his lap, encouraged by Daisy while Oliver just rolled his eyes. Daisy had obviously been listening to Adam and Kim and told her that if she asked Adam nicely he would have a date with her. "You want me to take you out too?" he asked.

"Yes Please."

"One day, but right now I've already got a date." He pulled her a little tighter into his body, relishing her warmth and weight of her body on his. "You know I am a one woman type of guy."

"Me?" Daisy had a hand on Adam's knee and was jumping up and down. Adam had made her night, not for the first time either. He just had this thing about him that Daisy loved. He lit up her world constantly.

He leant forward and touched her nose. "Your Mommy will just have to wait her turn."

Adam grabbed Kim's waist as she went to stand up, he wasn't letting her go just yet. "Where are you going?" She was starting to get used to his quiet desperate growls. They always sent a shiver up her spine and she loved how good she felt when she was this close to Adam. It felt familiar and comforting.

"This is not a good idea."

"Oh, I know." Adam slipped a hand down between her thighs and she squirmed a little.

They were desperately fighting a losing battle, yet neither of them wanted to make the first move or run the risk of being rejected so they teetered on the edge and would both pull away at the same time.

"Hey Daisy. How about we tickle your Mom?" He pulled his hand away and dug his fingers into her waist making her squeal and Daisy joined in as she started squirming and laughing as Adam dumped her on the couch and joined Oliver and Daisy in tickling their Mom.

Eventually they turned the tables, although he gave up pretty quickly and Kim ended up sitting on Adam on the floor while both Oliver and Daisy tickled him. When Kim sent them off to clean their teeth and get ready for bed she didn't move off him and placed both hands on his chest. "So you really want to go out on a date?"

"With you, yes." Kim leant forward a little, knowing precisely the effect she was having on him and Adam groaned. His hands were clasped behind his head tightly and his eyes were dark and sparkling with life.

"I will take you out on a date."

"I'd like that." Apart from when they watched Ollie's games together they had never been out alone together. They'd been out without the kids but it had been with Kev, Joelle, Jay and Erin.

"Okay. It's a deal." He couldn't keep his hands to himself any longer and ran them up and down her thighs before he lifted her up off his lap. He needed to few moments to calm himself down before the kids came back. His physical reaction to her was obvious. Once the kids had gone to bed Kim had curled into his side and they watched a movie. It was a painful yet strangely satisfying game they were playing.

Adam sent her a sweet photo of him and Daisy on their date and her little girl looked so happy. She showed it to Erin. "Oh Kim, that's just beautiful. Daisy's in love." Erin smiled over the top of her glass. "Like her mother."

Daisy bounced through the door when they got home and spent the next twenty minutes telling her every single thing about her date with Adam while he just stood and watched, looking a little bemused by it all. "I'm going to marry him." Daisy suddenly declared.

"Are you just?" Kim chuckled.

"I asked Adam, he never got married."

"Why not?"

"Because he is waiting for the right lady…." Daisy leant in close and giggled. "..I think it's me."

"Really?" Kim looked at him and he was blushing a little.

"We had a good day didn't we Daisy?" Adam came and stood by Kim, he liked being close to her lately and liked that Kim was letting him. Whatever dance they were doing, neither of them stopped it or talked about it. It was just happening, it felt relentless.

Initially they had these big waves they rode where they were drawn to each other and then long periods of calm water, now the waves were smaller but happening more often and it felt manageable. Those big, infrequent waves caught them off guard and left them struggling to deal with the aftermath, these smaller waves just rolled over them. It felt comfortable and without even talking about it they just smiled at each other. It was coming, it was no longer if, but when.

"Yes." She clapped her hands. "It was fun."

Daisy was buzzing and Oliver was happy to see his Dad when he got home and they both begged him to stay for dinner. Oliver would do anything to have his Dad at his house; he even asked Kim if Adam could live with them back when Adam decided to get his own place. "He can stay in the basement."

"Adam can't live with us Baby."

"Why not? He's moving out of Al's place."

"Adam needs his own place, he needs space to be alone if he needs it. You and Daisy wouldn't give him a moment's peace if he was here." Oliver had folded his arms across his chest and huffed. It was cute and Kim laughed when she told Adam. It freaked him out a little. He could think of nothing worse at that point. Being around Oliver, well that would be great, living in the same house as Kim, that was just torture.

There was also the issue with Steve, he was relentless in his attacks on Adam and baiting Kim about him. Having Adam move in would've been like a red rag to a bull and neither of them wanted that kind of pressure or drama. It wouldn't have been good for Adam and Kim would've been in a constant state of stress, about both of them.

They had both seen how unstable things were with Adam recently when he was trying to rent his place and both of then agreed that until Adam felt comfortable in his own world and skin again they best thing he could do was have a place he could escape too that he felt safe in and able to cope with.

"So, you are engaged?" Kim laughed as Adam came down from saying goodnight to Daisy. She had insisted that he take her to bed. "How is your fiancé?"

"You jealous?"

"What if I said yes?"

"Well, I'm not worried. It didn't stop you last time."

"Ouch." Adam had always teased her about the fact that she kissed him first when he was still engaged to Wendy. She had been mortified and would beg him to stop. It wasn't her finest moment but at the end of the day, for a brief while anyway she had her man. Sure she let it go to shit. Their path was full of potholes, twists and turns and they still couldn't see the end but they were still on the same path and right now that was all that mattered.

"You made Daisy's day. Thank you." She ran her hand over his knee as she sat down, a little too far away from him for his liking and he handed her a glass of whiskey. They often shared a drink after dinner before he went home. They tended not to drink in front of the kids, they didn't need to see it after all the issues it caused with Steve.

"We had fun, she's such a sweetheart."

"I think so."

"I really enjoyed spending the day with her, you should be proud, she is just amazing, so full of life and just adorable like her Mom." Adam hadn't spent a lot of time with kids, particularly little girls. He had tended to avoid children in the past because he knew he would never have them and while he had made that decision he wasn't happy about it. Also he didn't want to get attached to someone with kids because it wasn't fair on the kids when he broke their hearts when he left and he always left.

They decided to watch a movie, Kim curled up next to him and rested her head on his chest. It was something they started doing recently when they were alone. It was comforting and gave them closeness that they didn't have to talk about or worry about. It didn't feel awkward or that it had to mean anything. It was just two people who enjoyed each other's company and had an incredible history and were learning how to share the same world and space again.

Except when you watched a tearjerker. The Notebook wasn't the greatest of choices and Kim had always loved it but it made her cry every single time. Especially now, putting love on hold while one person was away cut a little too close to the bone. Adam sensed it and wrapped his arm a little tighter around her shoulders, he pressed a kiss to the top of her head and Kim turned a little and buried her head in his chest.

"How does this still make you cry?"

"It's pathetic isn't it?"

"A little."

Kim surprised him by slipping one hand under his shirt. He sucked in a deep breath but didn't say anything. Her hand was warm as she softly stroked the skin of his stomach, feeling the wiry hair that ran down from his naval to the top of his jeans beneath her fingertips. She didn't say a word as they watched the rest of the movie in peace.

When it ended she removed her hand and sat up a little. Adam wiped the tears from her face. "Look at you? You big softie." She rested her cheek on his hand for a moment.

"Next time you can pick the movie."

"Really?" he winked. "You sure you want to risk it?"

"We are not watching porn."

"I'd love to watch porn with you again." They had one particularly memorable night when they were both drunk and Kim mentioned she'd never watched a porn movie so Adam found a relatively tame one for them to watch together. They didn't end up seeing much of the movie, the first few sex scenes got them so worked up that the spent most of the night trying to outdo whatever was happening on screen.

"I'm a mother now. I don't watch porn."

"We don't have to watch." He traced her lips with his finger. "We could…" Kim quickly placed her hand over his mouth and he nipped her palm.

It was a little wave and they rode it for as long as they could.

The next wave was bigger, unpredictable and left them gasping for air. Kim came home from a girl's night out with some of the mother's from Oliver's school. She was tipsy and a little pissed off. Daisy was with her Dad and Adam offered to stay with Oliver. Adam had to start work early in the morning so Ollie couldn't stay over with him, much to his disappointment and Kim promised not to be home late.

Kim knew she would be the centre of attention and had blown them off for long enough. Up front she told them the basic story and then asked if they could move on. Spending the whole night talking about Adam was not what she wanted to be doing; he took up enough of her head space as it was.

Ella was never one of her favourites. To say she had a high opinion of herself was an understatement and the words mutton dressed as lamb sprung to mind. "Well if you don't make a move on him, I just might." She laughed, finishing off her glass of wine. "He's fucking hot. Don't you just want to jump him? I mean surely he wouldn't mind." Despite Kim's obvious glare she just didn't stop. "I mean he can't be a monk, he must be getting it somewhere and if he isn't well perhaps you can give him my number."

"You are not his type." Kim snarled. The little green monster suddenly sitting on her shoulder felt heavy.

"What? He's gay? Never picked that." Kim just ignored it; she took a mouthful of her wine and let it wash her bitchy reply down.

He was asleep on the couch when she came in and Kim watched him for a few minutes. Chewing on her bottom lip she wondered what was going on in his head? She was annoyed when the conversation about sex rolled through her mind again. Was he out getting it from someone else? Had she pushed him away one too many times?

Leaning on the couch with one hand conveniently resting between his legs so that when she leant forward her forearm was most definitely pressing against his crotch. "Heeeeeyyyyy." He opened his eyes slowly.

"Hi."

"Good night?"

"Yep. You?"

"No dramas. Oliver's drunk but we had fun." He didn't move as he tried to read her face and sum up the situation. She looked hot and as she was leaning forward he could see down her top and the view was an instant turn on. Firstly he was male, and secondly he was desperately in love with her and insanely attracted to her so his body just did what it wanted.

She also looked three sheets to the wind. "What you doing?"

Kim removed her hand but the damage had been done so he didn't need her climbing on top of him. "Can I ask you something?"

"Umm sure." He couldn't help himself, his hands where on her ass and he was pulling her down into him. The feeling of her body on top of his was painfully satisfying.

"Sex?"

"What about it?"

"Are you having sex?"

"Not right now."

"I know not right now, but like are you seeing someone and having sex?"

"No."

"Do you want too?"

"Kim, what's going on?" Yes he did want to have sex, with the woman currently sitting on top of him. "What's this about?"

"This bitch tonight was just going on and on about it, she wants me to give you her number so that she can fuck you because she thinks you are hot and that I am being an idiot for not jumping your bones." The alcohol had certainly loosened her up. "I told her you were not her type, not that I know what your type is…"

"Yes you do." He grabbed her ass tightly with both hands and then let got and ran them up to the top of her thighs, knowing precisely where they were headed and Kim didn't stop him.

Kim leant forward and rested her head on his chest for a few moments. "Now she thinks you are gay."

"So not gay but I can see that you are worried about something and that she bothered you?"

"No, I mean yes. I don't know, you can have sex with whoever you like."

"What about you?"

"I'm not having sex."

"I know that, it's not what I meant?" She didn't get it so he moved on. He was asking her if she wanted to have sex with him but in trying to be subtle, in her drunken state she missed it. "Do you want too?"

"No, yes, maybe." Neither of them said a word. Kim sat up, still straddling him and smiled a little when she felt it. "You do?" She cocked her head to the side. "I can feel it."

"What did you expect? Kim…" he sat up, grabbing her hips and rocking her against him. The look on her face was priceless; she looked beautiful. "I don't want her number."

"Fuck Adam. What are we doing?"

She was pushing him to the edge, he was getting to the point that he was going to need to finish this. It wasn't the first time they'd got to this point, or near enough but he always was able to will it away. It wasn't that he hadn't knocked the top of it more than once but usually when he was alone. Now he was contemplating either pushing her over the line or at least asking her if she could finish him off. He was surprised how often he thought about her hand and what she could do with it. "It can just be sex Kim." All of sudden she stopped.

"No." she snapped, pushing him in the chest angrily. "It's not just sex, look what happened last time."

"Last time when?" He was seriously confused at the sudden change in mood. It took care of the dilemma he had; she had popped that balloon.

"You used to tell me that all the time. You don't remember. It's just sex Kim, it means nothing."

"When?"

"Back then, before you left, before you ran away." She scrambled to get off him and Adam followed her and grabbed her hand before she ran upstairs.

"Don't walk away. Talk to me."

"I can't go back to that. It has to mean more." And now she was crying and he had no idea how this even got to this point so quickly. A few minutes ago he was sound asleep on the couch and woke up with Kim grinding her hips into him.

"Hey, hey." He waited until she looked at him. "It does." His kiss was anything but sweet, he put everything into it. He pushed her up against the wall, his hips bucking against hers. "I don't want to have sex with just anyone anymore. It has to mean something, it never meant nothing with you. I've done the rest and that's not me. You have to be ready for it too, not just here…." He pushed his erection into her crotch. "…but also here…. "He pointed to her heart. "…and here." He tapped her forehead. "Are you ready?"

"No."

His head sagged against her shoulder. "Then neither am I."

Truth was he felt that he was, he was ready to give her his head and his heart. Hell, she already had it but if Kim wasn't ready he wasn't about to make her feel worse than she already did by telling her that the reason he was about to walk out, to walk away from this incredible moment was all because of her.

Given half the chance he would have her clothes off and be inside her in a minute. He craved her and this game that they were playing was painful and frustrating but he'd rather be playing it than having no hope at all.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry, be sure." This kiss was less needy, it was gentle and loving and full of promise and it took everything he had to walk away.

He called her early the next morning when he got a break because he knew she would be freaking out over it. Not talking to her when he knew she had issues or concerns hadn't got him very far in the past. He may not know a lot about her anymore but he'd figured that one out. "Are you okay?"

"Yes."

"Kim, please don't worry. I'm not worried, we will work it out and whatever will be will be."

"It's not that easy sometimes Adam, you know it's not."

"Never said it was easy. I didn't want to leave last night, I think you know that."

"Then why did you?"

"Because you said it yourself, your heart and your head aren't on the same page."

It was true, last night would have been a mistake. Jealousy is what got them into this situation with Oliver. He was jealous and angry and they'd had sex and conceived a child that up until six months ago his father never knew existed. "What about yours?"

"Depends on the day."

"Today?"

"In the same book, different chapters." He sighed and ran his hand over his face. "Just in case I didn't make it clear last night, it never meant nothing Kim and that was my problem. I lied to you to make it easy for me, but it was never nothing with you. It was everything."

"Are you coming for dinner tonight?"

"I'd like to."

"We will see you later then."

Adam signed off after telling Kim that he would call Ollie soon. No matter what happened or was happening between him and Kim right now, or in the future he made promise to his son to speak to him every day and so far he hadn't let him down.

When he arrived and had the chance without Oliver and Daisy hanging off him he asked Kim if they could not talk about what happened last night or where it left them. "Can we just not put that pressure on ourselves right now and relax. Just for tonight. I want to enjoy just being here." Kim looked disappointed. "with you. I really enjoy just being still with you."