18. PLAY DEN

I take Dan to the arcade next door. I saw it before we went to the restaurant, however I also noticed the children's play den upstairs. The area isn't completely dark, but it's shut off. When I say 'shut off' there's a measly bit of rope attached to both sides of the wall. I quickly tread over it while Dan does the same.


"Clara!" Dan loudly hides whilst I take my shoes off and head towards the the massive play den.


"What the fuck are we doing?" He whispers while I then duck my head a little before entering the play den.


"Being teenagers." With that Dan scratches the back of his head. He looks uncomfortable, and to be honest so I am. But I want one night...just one...where I can get to experience what life has stolen from me. Just one night of being stupid, and I know that's a lot to ask for since this probably isn't legal...but it's something kids would do.


"Do I have to take off my shoes then?" I look at Dan feeling horrified.


"Little children use this! How would you like it if Lana or the baby got their hands dirty because of some inconsiderate arsehole." With that Dan rolls his eyes back and takes off his shoes.


"That's not a teenager-like thing to care about."


"Just shut up and do it." Dan kicks his shoes off before joining me in the play den. We then move past the swinging boxing thing, and make our way up the stairs before crossing a little netted bridge, before we crawl into a crawl space. But it's not a tight fit so I sit back, feeling a little out of breath while I hold my bump.


"Are you okay?" Dan sits besides me, holding my bump while I nod my head.


"This was a stupid idea." I whisper staring at the opposite side of the yellow tube.


"What, no. It's awesome."


"I just thought that if I acted like your cool friends...a teenager...then maybe I could...I don't know." We've grown up. None of this seems even remotely thrilling at all, and that's pretty scary. Well, maybe not for Dan...but it's definitely scary for me. I always used to think that I'll go to clubs and have girly nights with my girlfriends, but I've never done any of those things. Well, apart from the Christmas party in the hall of Leeds university.


I love my life though, I do. And maybe I'm selfish thinking about wanting to have fun. "I want to experience something...so that when the kids get older we can be on the same page. Mentor them or something." I brush my index finger against my bump while she restlessly kicks around. God, my back hurts.


This truly was the worst idea that I've ever had in my entire life, and that says something.


"And it turns out the mother of the year isn't the mother of the year award..."—I crack a smile at the truth—"because she's mother of the millennia." I look up at Dan before he kisses me on my cheek, whilst I feel myself start to cry.


"Every single parent feels that way. Regardless of what we've been through, the kids will always grow up differently to how their parents did. The whole point of the new generation." With that Dan puts his hand on top of my bump whilst I do the same.


He has a point. And I'm stupid that I ever thought that in the first place. "Anyways, being a teenager means being either emo, lazy, or, a bitch...I'd say you're the latter to be honest." My jaw opens up wide in shock while Dan shrugs. I mean, he was being so fucking cute a second ago. Now he went and ruined it by calling me a bitch.


"Not letting your six year old have a ice cream after school because it's autumn...that's bitchy behaviour if you ask me." With that I playfully slap Dan on the knee before I rest my head on his shoulder.


"I think you owe me and Lana a ice cream for that." Dan then chuckles before leaning his head backwards and sighs, we're such a depressed mess right now. I really hate this.


"Yeah, I do." There's silence before Dan then smiles, because he sits forwards my head gets pushed off him.


"What?" I ask, stupidly thinking that he has seen a guards flashlight or something through the yellow tubes. I mean, he's acting weird. Not unless if he doesn't want me to show a little fucking compassion after him calling me a bitch? Probably not. Dan's a intimate guy. Even when I'm making a cuppa he wraps his arms around me and hugs me, for not actual reason.


"She really fucking hates being in there." Dan then places both hands on my bump before laughing in shock.


The feeling is nothing new for me so I laugh at his really cute reaction, "I think you're right. She's getting a little stronger each day." With that Dan knocks on my stomach like it's a door. Before I can tell the giant freakoid to stop it, she kicks back in the exact same place.


Not this cute shit again. He did the same with Lana, but the first time she kicked back he threw up. According to him it was a 'gross' realisation that he was somebodies father. I was shit scared the entire time.


"Awh, hello darling. I love you-yes I do." He says in a babyish voice while I tilt my head backwards while he legitimately plays with our unborn daughter.


"Clara, do you wanna try out that Malteesers advert?" What fucking Malteesers advert?


"Huh?"


"You know that advert where the two women sit on the sofa and they put a Malteeser on their stomach and it jumps when the baby kicks." Why the fuck do I want to do that?


"Babe, that's real cute but at the moment my skin feels like it's on fire, I'd think that the chocolate would melt and then it'll get everywhere. When I clean it off of me, Lana is gonna see and then she's going to cry because she didn't have any chocolate." I can legitimately visual the scenario in my head.


"I'm go getting a packet of Malteesers." Dan laughs before he leans over and kisses the top of my bump where her head should be, though it shouldn't be for much longer now.


"Stop being so cute."


"Or what?" Dan laughs looking at me with a really hot smile, oh god.


"Or I'm going to have to fuck you in a kiddies play den. Either of us want that..." just my annoying body at the moment. Of course I wouldn't do anything like that near kids play stuff, that's just vile.


"I forgot that you get off on me being a family man." Even though that's true, I hold my middle finger up before Dan kisses me.


I love him...my boy.

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