Serial - Suddenly Daddy Part 17

After a long happy snuggle and a brief playful shower the pair of you are back in bed and whispering sweet nothings back and forth.

You are both on your sides facing each other, your faces just a foot apart.  You had a hand resting on her hip as she traces a finger around through your chest hair.  During in a lull in the pillow talk Claire finally says.  “Soooo...when are you going to tell me what happened this morning?”

You look over her flawless face.  There wasn't an ounce of condemnation or accusation, simply curiosity.  She continues.  “You haven't gone running for the hills and Poppy and Jeremy are just crazy about you.”  She traces her finger up your neck then ruffles your beard.  “Come on, out with it.”

You could feel that now familiar blush come to your face.  Before you could even utter a word she begins a low gentle laugh.  “I knew it!”  She strokes your face.  “I knew you were different, I just knew it.”  Leaning toward you she gives you a kiss.  She seemed genuinely happy you'd come round to their way of things.  “Poppy can be very persistent, and that body of hers...god!  To be nineteen again.  I hope she wasn't too rough on you, she...”

Claire stops as she notices your blush had darkened another shade.  A guilty look on your face.

“It...um...it wasn't Poppy.”  You mutter sheepishly.

Her eyes widen for just a moment, her smile never fades though it does transform into something more heartfelt.  She says in a low proud voice.  “He is a beautiful boy, isn't he?” 

You nod.  “He is.  He's unique.  I still can't believe...I um...  With you giving me the go ahead...and him being so...I dunno...he sort of slipped right under my defenses.  I think he's got a good heart too.”  The way Claire was looking at you just now, as if was with all new eyes.  As if she was seeing through the physical to something deeper.  She was falling for you, you were pretty damn sure.  The feeling was definitely mutual.  

You add.  “Although he's also a sneaky little shit.”  She looks at you quizzically.

You tell Claire about what had just happened as she was riding your face.  She is quiet as you tell her, her wide eyes staring at you to see if you were putting her on, before she bursts out into a long hard bout of laughter.  You join in, it was infectious and the situation was pretty damned funny.  Claire is rolling from side to side holding her gut as she laughs and laughs.

She is gasping for air.  “Oh my god...Ahhh...ha ha ha..the expressions you were making...ha ha ha...I thought you were just really getting into it...then I felt you...wriggling around...I worried I was smothering you....Ahhhh ha ha ha ha!”

Rolling back toward you she clutches on to you, holding herself to you as her giggling fit slowly abates.  You are grinning ear to ear as you watch her.

Claire's naked body was pressed into yours.  The pair of you warm and wrapped in the quality cotton sheets.  The good feelings filled the room both from the joyous laughter and intimacy, as well as the pleasant afterglow of your previous activity.  You couldn't hear Jeremy but you could somehow sense he was also in the house.  Again, this place just felt lived in and alive.  

Once more your thoughts stray to your own little apartment.  When you'd go to bed at home.  Your apartment.  Dark, empty, lifeless.  A monument to loneliness.  You would hear noises from the suites around you, but those were other people's lives.  Their sounds only made the silence of your own place all the more deafening.  You'd never really minded before...yet now in retrospect the void of what wasn't there was obvious.

You were falling for Claire, there was no doubt about it, but something more was happening.  You had found a place where you might belong.  A place in a family.  A place you might actually come to call home.  Somehow this family's strange ways did nothing to dissuade you.  They were weird and you were still struggling to make sense of it all, but it wasn't as off putting as it really should be.  Everything in your upbringing told you this family was messed up, yet somehow it seemed to work for them.  

Besides, the potential benefits were pretty exciting.

Claire had settled down and settled in.  “I'm glad.  I...I'm so happy you're here Ted.”  She whispers.

“Me too.”

The pair of you cuddle together and drift off to sleep.

You surface later with a grumble in your stomach.  Blinking your eyes open you glance over to the bedside alarm clock.  One forty five.  Ugh.  You should have eaten more at supper, but you hadn't wanted to look like a pig.  You knew it was no use trying to get back to sleep when you were hungry.  You would have to get up for a snack.

Claire was over on her side of the bed.  Judging by her breathing and the lack of movement she was sound asleep.  You slip out of bed and put on some boxers along with a pair of shorts and an old t shirt you'd brought with you.

You head down to the kitchen and begin rummaging through the fridge.  You knew Claire wouldn't mind.  As you take the last of the pizza and put it on a plate you hear the front door close, more of a slam really.  Poppy must be home.

You were considering whether to go greet her when the kitchen door suddenly swings open.  You can see Poppy had obviously had a few drinks, not drunk but well tipsy.  Her clothes and hair were disheveled and her heavy makeup smudged and smeared a bit.  She was upset.  Angry but something else as well, she was hurting in some way.  She stops in her tracks as she sees you, you were not the person she'd been expecting to see.

“Hey Poppy.”  You say.

Her eyes narrow to a glare.  “Men are fucking pigs!”  She practically spits at you.

You set down your plate.  “Date didn't go so good?”  You ask gently.

She storms towards you, you stand unsure of what was about to happen.  Judging by her expression you half expected her to haul off and strike you.  Instead she throws her arms around you and hugs you round your big barrel chest, resting her head on you.  She holds on tight.  Slowly you bring your arms around her, holding her small body lightly.  She seemed to just need someone who cared, and you were all she had at the moment.

You stand like this for some time sensing she just needed to be held.  You can feel her slowly start to relax in your encompassing embrace.  She lets out a shuddering breath.  As you comfort her you think about her disheveled clothes and messed up make up.  Strange new feelings rose up in you.  Intense primal emotions.  Powerful instincts of comfort and protection you'd never felt before.

You ask darkly, with a low firm voice.  “He didn't hurt you, did he?”

She is quiet for a long time, perfectly still in your arms.  You could feel all of her anger drain away, her tension releasing.  She finally hugs you tighter.  “No.”

You kiss her head.  “Good.”  You reply, your mood lightening.  

She nuzzles into your chest.  “Thank you for asking...Daddy.”  She whispers.  A special emphasis now on that last word.

You pat her shoulder and say in cheerier tone.  “Hey, want to share this pizza.  It's pretty damn good.”

Backing up a step she places a hand on your shoulder and looks up at you.  A small pretty smile playing at her lips though her eyes seemed distant.  “No thanks.  I'll...um...I'm going to bed.”  She gets up on her tip toes and gives you a little peck on the cheek.  “Good night Daddy.”

“Good night Poppy.”  You reply with a warm smile.

You watch her go.  Leaving in a much better mood than when she arrived just a few scant minutes ago.  As you eat your midnight snack you reflect on the fiercely protective emotions Poppy had momentarily roused in you.  You weren't sure what you would have done had she said yes to your question, but it probably wouldn't have been good.

You shake your head.  These guys were getting to you.  All of them.