Ch. 4 Date To Remember
AN: Now that I've posted 6 Years (next chapter coming soon), I shall fill in the blanks. I like family life stores that have the main character's kids in them and the main characters are married and parents. There you go.
Nathan was mumbling to himself as he pulled on something nice. It was the night of his and Daley's date, and he wanted to look nice but he also wanted to feel natural. Plus, he was nervous about her father's inspection.
"Ta Da!" he spun around to face his sister, who was sitting there.
"Good! You look handsome," Kate nodded eagerly.
"Thanks," Nathan rolled his eyes.
"Yup. Now go be with your love- thing," Kate put on her confused face.
"Yeah…" Nathan walked out of his room and down the stairs.
"Have fun!" called out his mom.
"Will do," Nathan called as he left outside and walked to the car. He drove, nervous, to Daley's house. He got out of the car and walked up to her door. Daley answered immediately.
"Hey," she said, looking flustered, "my Dad's not in the best of moods…"
"Why?" Nathan murmured nervously.
"I don't know. According to my step mom he's been having bad spell every few days. Come in though, just because my dad is angry doesn't mean… well…"
"Forget it, Daley. He's not going to approve of me, is he?" Nathan murmured sadly.
"Well…" but then Daley's Dad barked, "Get him in here!"
Daley smiled sympathetically and they went into the house.
"Wait, before we go in," Nathan murmured, "I know that you're Dad could not approve, and make us break up…"
"I wouldn't allow it!" Daley said triumphantly. Nathan smiled and leaned in to kiss her, and they broke apart quickly at the sound of coughing from the family room, and ran to the room.
"So," Daley's Dad indeed looked grumpy.
"So," Nathan nodded.
"You love Daley," he began.
"More than anything," Nathan said passionately.
"Hmm. You know, I assume, that Daley has had two previous boyfriends before you, and both treated her like crap," he said bluntly.
"Yes, I do know that. And I try not to be like them," Nathan nodded.
"You also know that she means the world to me," he continued.
"I know that as well, sir," Nathan continued to nod.
"You know that I don't want her to be hurt," Daley's father stared pointedly at Nathan.
"I wouldn't hurt her if she asked me too," Nathan repeated the line that he had said many times.
"And there are some things that she, and you for that matter, are not ready for…" he didn't look like he was trying to avoid the subject, either.
"I'd NEVER pressure her into something she didn't want to do, sir," Nathan looked taken aback.
"Then, all that's left is your intentions," his fixated gaze nearly broke down Nathan, but he continued.
"I intend to love her, and take care of her, and make her happy. And, if we manage to stay like this through the rest of high school, and most of college, I want to marry her," Nathan murmured softly.
Daley's father stared at him for a few seconds, "Daley, get in here." To Daley, he must have sounded furious because as Daley rushed in, she looked worriedly at Nathan.
"Daley, look at me," Daley turned to face her father; "if you ruin things with this boy, man I should say, I will be very disappointed in you."
Daley squealed and jumped into Nathan's arms. Nathan spun her around, until Daley planted her feet firmly on the ground and kissed him. They broke apart smiling.
"Now, go to your date already!" Daley's father laughed, "I'm sure it's waiting."
"It is, sir," Nathan nodded, then grabbed Daley's hand and laced his fingers with hers. They ran out the door, and didn't stop smiling till they got to the restaurant.
"Old Country Buffet?" Daley gasped, staring at the restaurant.
"Yup. I love this place, and if you don't like it then we can go somewhere else…" Nathan stammered.
"No, I love this place too. I missed it, in fact," Daley smiled, and while their hands were still entwined they ran into the restaurant.
Nathan walked over to the counter, "All you can eat for two, please," Nathan asked.
"That'll be $44.50," the man over the counter said. (AN: I don't know the prices, the one time I went I was on a school field trip, but boy was it good!)
Nathan paid the money and they walked into the buffet. Daley got a pizza (she had been craving it for a year now) and Nathan got pasta. They sat down.
"How did you do that? It's a miracle!" Daley laughed.
"Get approval from your father? I just told the truth…" Nathan shrugged
"Wow. The last boyfriend told the truth, and my father told me to end things in a manner of weeks, maybe days! Now that's funny…" Daley laughed.
"Well, if your father asked you to break up with them, they must have been horrible," Nathan nodded.
"They were. It was Reggie Balin and Mike Hannigate. Reggie just wanted… you know… and Mike didn't treat me right, et cetera. Not fun."
"Well," Nathan took her hands under the table in his, "you don't have to worry about them now."
Daley grinned at him, gently let go of his hand, and began eating.
They walked out of the restaurant, laughing together. Nathan's arm was around Daley's shoulder.
"That's hilarious! Where'd you hear that joke?" Daley laughed.
"Melissa," Nathan shrugged as they got into his car.
"Oh yeah! In elementary school she had that big book of jokes…"
"She got a new one in the 7th grade. You didn't know about it because…"
"Yeah," Daley murmured quietly.
"I don't like talking about it anymore, so," Nathan murmured while talking.
"Yeah, that's fine," Daley nodded, "but I miss him."
Nathan, one hand still on the steering wheel, reached across with the other hand to squeeze Daley's.
"I miss him too," and they remained in silence for the rest of the car trip to Daley's.
Soon, they pulled up in Daley's house. They walked up, now smiling again, and stopped at the door.
"That was fun," Daley nodded.
"Yes. And I know it isn't necessary to ask to repeat the experience. We have to," Nathan murmured in her ear.
"I love you, Nathan," Daley wrapped her arms around his neck.
"I love you, Daley," Nathan smiled, wrapped his arms around her waist, and kissed her.
They continued kissing before Daley broke away reluctantly.
"I have to go," Daley murmured, "but I don't want to."
"Nor do I," Nathan sighed, "but I kind of have to."
"I'll see you tomorrow, when we're all over at Melissa's watching a movie?" Daley asked.
"Of course," Nathan nodded.
"Bye," Daley gave him a parting kiss, and reluctantly went inside. Nathan sighed, and left as well.
(1, 115 Words) Don't worry; the mystery of elementary school is solved in a later chapter. It's based on something from my own life.
