Hey guys so I'm trying to post as much as I can but I've been quite sick with a chest infection recently so it will take me some time. But I assure you that I will continue posting new chapters as soon as I'm done with them. Anyway on with the chapter.
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Chapter 11
Lindsay knew she had to tell Danny about Aidan eventually. Aidan had wanted to know about his other parent ever since Lindsay admitted that Mason was not his father, and she knew she wouldn't be able to keep him a secret for too long.
Stomping away from Mason after their heated argument, Lindsay decided to spend the rest of the day in her cubicle, sorting through her paperwork. She spent the next few hours mumbling under her breath about her crappy microscope (its older than her parents) and overly-priced Starbucks coffee (jeez, $8 for a cup of monstrous diabetic formula? No thanks.)
She stapled a printout with more ferocity than necessary, the sharp sound earning a few concerned looks from her other colleagues. While paperwork might not seemed to be the most entertaining part of her job description, but she got to take out her frustrations on a poor innocent report sheet, without minimal distractions.
Like an angry Mason.
Or a troublesome ex from the past.
But no one could ever tolerate the harsh dull procedure of filing up moutains of spreadsheets, and soon Lindsay was out of the office like a whirlwind and ready to call it a night.
However, despite the fatigue clouding both her mind and limbs, adding on the stress of Mason being an exaggeratedly-jealous boyfriend, still she drove past the bustling districts and into the quieter part of the city, where Aidan's daycare was situated.
As she pulled up onto the curb, Lindsay could already spot her son standing near the gates alongside his teacher, Ms Nicole. At the sight of his mother emerging from the car, Aidan flung himself into Lindsay's arms, nuzzling his face into the soft material of her blouse.
"Looks like someone misses me," she teased lightly, but she caged the little boy in tightly, all drowsiness having disappeared at the mere sight of Aidan's bright smile. Lindsay turned to Ms Nicole, expression apologetic. "Sorry i'm late, things at work are getting hectic lately."
The teacher laughed, shaking her messy head of dark curks. "Don't sweat it! Aidan has always been a good boy in my class, so he's no trouble for me at all. Although," Ms Nicole added thoughtfully, "he was crying during naptime, something about having no one to play baseball with."
Lindsay looked down at her child, noting his red-rimmed, puffy eyes, and her heart nearly broke into two. "I think I have an idea about that," she murmured softly.
The only thing that came to Lindsay's mind at the word baseball was Danny. She knew that her son's love for baseball was something that he had inherited from his father. The only person that Lindsay knew who knew how to teach baseball was him. After all, he was the one who taught her how to play.
Ms Nicole bent down to Aidan's level to say goodbye to the little boy that could very easily steal the heart's of anyone he met. Lindsay wondered if Aidan got his innocent charm from his father.
After saying goodbye, Lindsay and Aidan left to get some pizza for dinner and then get some rest.
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The minute they got home, Aidan ran to his room to get some play time in before he had to go to sleep, throwing his sneakers in a mess around the front door, leaving his mother to clean up with an exasperated but fond groan. Kids these days have too much energy. She blamed the pepperoni crust and the diet coke they consumed in the car on the way home.
Lindsay followed after him into his Green Arrow themed-bedroom, smile curled on the edge of her lips as she watched him squabble with his superhero figurines, round blue eyes gleaming with excitement and incoherent babbles escaping from his throat in high squeaks. He used the Green Arrow toy to bash in Batman's head, giggling as he did so.The boy's gloomy mood earlier had already been replaced with this epitome of pure innocence and delight.
Relieved, she retreated into the living room. Sitting down on the couch with a contented sigh, Lindsay turned on the TV, wanting to relax a little.
As she got comfortable on the couch, the only thing that was lingering in her mind was Danny. For some weird reason, as the screen flickered from cartoons to reality shows, she just couldn't stop thinking about him.
All the memories that she had tried desperately to get rid off for the past years were flooding back to her. His warm hand intertwined with hers, tasting the future of all their tomorrows in the sweetness of his lips, sharing infectious laughter at Dylan O'Brien's antics as they reviewed an episode of Teen Wolf curled up against each other on the couch.
She really missed Danny.
Tears welled up in her eyes at the realisation. She immediately tried to brush them away, but they clung stubbornly to her eyelashes, fat droplets streaming down her cheeks. It was as though the dam keeping her growing frustrations and sadness at bay for the past few years suddenly broke. For minutes, Lindsay just sat under the dimmed light of her living room, rocking back and forth with her head cradled in her hands and cried.
His sky blue eyes, perfectly soft blonde hair she likes to run her fingers through. His mouth was always curled up into the tiniest of smirks, a mischievous glint constantly in his eyes, as though he had a playful secret carefully hidden away from the world.
Lindsay knew she wasn't being fair to Mason either. He had been a caring boyfriend, always willing to pick up her broken pieces. Even if he didn't know how to mend them back together, but he sure as hell tried, and she would be forever grateful.
I need to get Danny out of my head.
Compsing herself wasn't easy, and hearing Aidan playing in his room down the hall just made Lindsay feel more guilty. She had been keeping a father from knowing his son and a son from knowing his father. She knew that it wasn't right to keep Aidan a secret from Danny.
Even if he did cheated on her. An ugly monster in her chest reared its head at the thought, but Lindsay squashed those feelings down hard. What was in the past stayed in the past.
Thinking about it, she made up her mind about one thing. And that was that she was going to tell Danny about his son before he went back to New York.
A knock on the door interrupted her just as she was about to tuck Aidan in for the night. She wasn't expecting anyone at that time. Getting up, she went to find out who exactly the mystery guest was.
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Danny had to talk to her. "I mean she had to have felt the chemistry between them when they were reconstructing, right?"
He could tell from the look in her eyes when she pulled away from him. She had wanted that as much as he did, had yearn for his warmth as he did hers. But, being the amazing person that she was, she couldn't cheat on Mason.
Danny knew that he had no right demanding answers from her to his myriad of questions. He knew it. But at that point, he just wanted to talk to her.
He just wanted to clasp their hands together, rubbing soothing circles into her skin, to pull her closer until they shared even breaths, to give her all the affection and love she rightfully deserved.
Was it such a diffcult thing to want? To keep the person he loves most close to him?
He pulled some strings with the rest of the team that actually liked him. That was the reason that he was currently standing in front of the wooden door of her apartment, hand poised over the wood as he took a deep breath to reassure himself.
Bringing his nervously clenched fist to the door, he rapped his knuckles on it before he could change his mind. Then he waited. Praying that she wouldn't leave him stranded out in the cold after looking through the peephole.
Hoping that he wouldn't need to leave the apartment complex with a broken heart and the light of his world ripped from his fingers.
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Lindsay got the shock of her life when she opened the door. Sure she knew that he would want to talk to her but she hadn't thought that it would have been that soon.
"Hey Danny," she greeted him after she'd recovered from her moment of silent surprise. Her hands trembled from their position on the door knob, but Lindsay forced them to still, to keep her heartbeat steady and her voice even. "What can I do for you?"
"Hey Montana, can I come in?" He questioned her, motioning to himself standing out in the hallway, hands tucked into the pockets of his leather jacket, breath billowing like smoke in the chilly air. "Its too cold to be standing outside."
A hesitant nod. "Uh yeah sure. Come on in, I suppose."
Lindsay was at a loss for words. Her throat tightened at the sight of him, and her mind couldn't supply a conversation starter. Not with him taking a seat in her living room, cautious eyes taking in the numerous framed pictures of her and Mason, their captured grins glazed over through the glass cover.
She cleared her throat, and those eyes were averted back to her. She tried to ignore the hurt glistening in blue irises in favour of putting up her facade of a good host. "I'll pour you a cup of coffee. Hang on for a moment."
The tension in the air was daunting, like a looming stormy cloud about to set off torrents of whipping rain and cracks of thunder. Her hands needed to be occupied with something, anything.
Rushing to the kitchen without hearing a reply, she let loose a held breath as she began making her favourite drink, her body relaxing at the familiar movements. The coffee grinder whirled to life, the aroma of caffeine filling the space, and her head rested lightly on the microwave as she waited for the coffee beans to brew.
She spent a moment thinking, the sound of blood thumping in her ears. What does he want to say to me? Does he still love me? Why is he here?
Just then, she felt a pair of small hands tugging on the hem of her pants, and Lindsay was already bending down without a moment's hesitation, fingers reaching for little Aidan swamped in the fluffy lion pajamas Mason bought for him last year, his tiny fist rubbing his eyes blearily as a small yawn erupted from his mouth.
"Mama, can you read me a story?"
She laughed, scooping the boy in her arms, pressing on his cute button nose. "I was just about to put you to bed, young man. C'mon, lets go to your room." Out of the corner of her eye, Lindsay spotted Danny emerging through the doorway, as though curious in why the promised coffee was taking so long, and her limbs froze.
Aidan frowned at her sudden lack of movement, twisting his head around to stare at her. When Lindsay didn't respond, he followed her gaze to where it was trained on, and the little boy's eyes widened in surprise at a stranger in their house.
Looking down, her eyes crossed paths with similar blue eyes to the man standing before her. She couldn't help but smile at her adorable two year old son.
"Mama, who?" Aidan asked with a tinge of fascination in his voice as he motioned to Danny with chubby fingers. "He's not Uncle Mason. Who's he?"
Lindsay peered over her son's messy head of blonde hair to Danny, only to see a look of shock washing over his handsome features. She gulped nervously, tightening her hold on her son.
There was a moment of stunned silence. "Mama?" Danny's voice carried throughout the kitchen in a whisper. The words rang in her ears, disbelief and pain underlying his tone. "He's...you and someone...you're a mother?"
There was no point hiding it anymore. She closed her eyes, preparing herself for cutting words and anger as she introduced the two. She gripped her fingers with Aidan's, finding strength in the tiny warmth blossoming from her fingertips, "Danny, this is my son Aidan."
She turned to the boy cradled in her arms, her voice softening at the sight of her precious baby looking up to her expectantly. "Aidan Daniel Messer, this is Danny," her throat closed up, but Lindsay still managed to choke the words out, spewing the last part in one hurried breath.
"Your papa."
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Your papa.
Danny stood there like his soul left his body, shell-shocked, his limbs going numb and rigid. The cogs in his brain seemed to stop turning, and the wires connecting his brain to his mouth malfunctioned, and the only thing that ran past his lips was a quiet "Oh".
He had a son.
Aidan seemed to be just as shocked. The little boy was staring at him intently with wide eyes, as though he couldn't believe he had a father. Danny wondered how he grew up all alone with only his mother and Mason to keep him company, sad blue eyes trailing on every pair of parents whom came to his daycare to pick his friends up, and his heart gave a painful squeeze.
"Hello Aidan," he stooped down until they were of eye-level, his gaze running over Aidan's eyebrows, lips, face shape; trying to memorise every feature of this beautiful tiny human that existed. The boy squirmed in his mother's hold, uncomfortable and shy, Lindsay shooting Danny a warning look, but Danny refused to waver.
He reached forward tentatively, callused fingers brushing over smooth cheeks lined with baby fat. Tears threatened to blurr his vision, because he's touching his son, this little angel that looked so much of Lindsay and him combined.
"You're a beautiful boy," Danny began ruffling his hand through Aidan's fluffy honey-blond locks, chuckling as the toddler pouted at him from messing up his hair. He raised himself back to his full-height, eyes full of affection at the boy that looked remarkably like him.
Lindsay coughed slightly. "You can carry him...if you want."
Danny shook his head, alarmed at the sudden offer, but Lindsay was determinedly striding forward and gently coaxing Aidan into his arms. His limbs tangled around the toddler awkwardly, and he panicked internally as his arm dipped with the sudden weight.
"Wait a minute! I can't just - " He spluttered out, horrifying scenarios of accidentally dropping his son playing in his head. But the worry soon ebbed away the moment Lindsay clutched his hand, her warm brown eyes loving and full of trust. He stilled, motionless as she helped to rearrange his awkward position, her fingertips leaving a trail of fire on his skin in their wake.
Soon, Aidan's head was rested on his shoulder, face buried in the crook of his neck as Danny swayed gently in the middle of the kitchen tiles, one hand patting the child's back gently, the other supporting Aidan as he curled into Danny's warmth.
The dull evening rays poured in through the kitchen shutters, casting a golden glow over the two, giving an image of stardust powdered in their hair and the sun glowing in their blue eyes, fiery gold clashing with stormy azure.
They seemed to be in a world of their own.
Lindsay could feel the lump of relief rising in her throat, that Aidan no longer would worry about the identity of his father, that Danny looked at Aidan with so much adoration and love in his eyes, as though he had loved Aidan right from the very beginning when the boy was born into the world.
A stray tear trickled down her eye. Danny looked up to give her a blinding grin, a grin that was different from his normal ones. This was a look of pure bliss and happiness, of a man who found another light to look forward to on the horizon whenever he waked.
She replied back with an equally as wide smile, her chest constricting with so many emotions at once that it was hard to keep track.
"Would you like to read him a story for bedtime?" Lindsay asked quietly, voice soft and fond. "I must warn you however, he only likes reading The Little Mermaid."
Danny brushed his nose against Aidan's ear, eliciting a squeal from his son, and he barked a hearty laugh. "The Little Mermaid? Aren't you a little old for princess stories?"
Aidan showed Danny his infamous puppy eyes, and Lindsay tried to contain her laughter as the man's restraint immediately melted at the sight of big eyes and pouty lips. "But Ariel is sooo pretty. Can you please read it to me," the boy paused for a moment, before adding on shyly, "Papa."
"Well, if that's what you want, i'll give it to you."
Danny led the way to Aidan's room with his son in his arms and Lindsay close behind. He still couldn't believe that he had a son. He knew that natural instinct would be to be mad at Lindsay for keeping such a huge secret. But he didn't feel any of that. The only thing he could feel, however, was pure love for his son and the woman standing in front of him.
After about fifteen minutes of laughter erupting from Aidan's room, with Danny's hilarious imitation of Ariel's voice sending Aidan into peels of hysterical laughter. Silence encapsulated the house as Danny and Lindsay exited their son's room, careful not to wake the sleeping boy.
"Linds, we need to talk," Danny's voice echoed down the hallway as they trooped to the living room. His cheerful demeanour from earlier reverting to something akin hurt and puzzlement. Lindsay froze, her nerves tingling.
"I'm really sorry for keeping you away from him. I really am. I was going to your apartment to tell you then I caught you with her. I just wanted to get out of there," she admitted.
"Linds, I'm not mad at you. And I don't blame you. But you have to know what actually happened that day. Just hear me out alright. And if you don't feel the same after that then... " he trailed off, the thought too hard to bear.
"Fine," she said, knowing exactly what he had left unsaid. She led him to the couch and they both sat down ready to finally talk about what happened between them.
"That day after I called you, I wanted to do something special for you - make you your favourite dinner. I was in the kitchen for a while and there was a knock on the door. I thought it was you so I opened it but instead it was Cindy. She never really liked me breaking up with her."
"She forced herself into the apartment. We were talking and I tried to get her to leave. Then she kissed me. My hands were on her shoulders cause I was trying to push her away. I swear Linds, I didn't cheat on you. I would never do that to you," he explained, hoping she would understand.
Lindsay took a moment to comprehend what he just told her. She knew that he was telling the truth. His voice always got slightly deeper when he was being honest.
All this time, she had thought that he'd cheated on her but he hadn't. He was always faithful.
"Danny I'm so sorry, I -" Lindsay apologised as Danny cut her off.
"Linds, you have nothing to be sorry about. To you I had cheated. And you reacted. I should have tried harder to explain it to you. I should not have even let her into my apartment in the first place. I'm sorry Linds," he explained with his head down.
Lindsay couldn't stand seeing him like that. Sure it had been two years but she'd be lying if she said that she didn't still have feelings for him.
She sat herself closer to Danny on the couch and took his hand. The feel of her softer, smaller hands on his caused his head to shoot up and look at her.
"It was both our faults. We both have things that we regret doing. Let's just try our best to forget what happened alright," she told him, knowing that blaming themselves was not going to help anyone.
Danny nodded his head. He looked up to her perfect features. He just wanted to put his arms around her - to feel her in his arms.
He pulled their entwined hands to his chest and pulled her towards him. He immediately felt better once his arms were around her. He could feel her head on her chest and the sigh that escaped from her lips.
After a long moment, the pair reluctantly pulled away from each other, both equally wanting to hold the other slightly longer.
"Aidan's a really amazing little boy you know. You did really great with him. I know I just met him and all but I'm already starting to love him. He kinda reminds me a lot of you," he sincerely told her, thinking of the amazing little boy that they created together. To Danny, Aidan was a product of their love - a true gift from God.
"Oh please, our son is like a carbon copy of you. But thanks anyway," she chuckled.
Hearing her call Aidan their son made his heart leap in his chest. His eyes flickered from her eyes to her luscious lips. He remembered spending hours just on her lips - kissing her and exploring every inch of that sweet mouth of hers.
He couldn't help it. He just wanted to taste her again. Slowly, he inched his head towards hers, waiting for her to give him her consent by moving her head too.
Lindsay wanted to kiss him as bad as he did. After finding our what actually happened, she couldn't help but be mad at herself. Now that she knew he hadn't done anything wrong, she wanted him even more.
She saw his face getting closer to hers then stop. She knew that as much as he wanted to ravish her, he would only do it with her consent, that was just the kind of man that he was. Seeing his face just centimetres away from hers made all the walls that she had built break open.
She moved her face forwards and met his lips in a kiss. Years of pent up longing and passion flooded the both of them as their mouths danced to a synchronised rhythm.
Both Danny and Lindsay marvelled at how amazing the other still tasted after two years apart. Minutes flew by before they broke apart, chests heaving and resting their foreheads against the other's.
"Wow, that was..." Danny started, unable to find the words to describe how much he loved the kiss.
"I know," Lindsay shared the exact same feelings as Danny.
After both their breathing had returned to normal, they readjusted themselves on the couch. Lindsay sat, tucked into Danny's side, her head on his shoulders as his arm was draped around her body protectively.
Lindsay relaxed her head on his shoulders and snuggled up closer to him. Knowing that they would feel quite uncomfortable soon, Danny lowered himself to a lying position, bringing Lindsay with him.
He put both his hands around her, pulling her as close to him as humanly possible. He had missed holding her and feeling the warmth of her body as he slept. Hopefully he's get the chance to feel that again.
They both relaxed in each other's arms, sighing contently, with slightly drooping eyelids. And that was exactly how they spent the entire night - entangled in each other's comfort.