Sweet Dreams - Ace Merrill

Baby needs a mum...

Ace couldn't pull his eyes from the infant. The way he gently stirred in his arms, Ace couldn't help but feel a strange feeling as he saw John's fists tighten and clench around his shirt as he continued to rub his face against Ace.

"Ace..."

Ace finally pulled his head up as he saw Vivian slowly walking in. Alex and Eyeball behind her, giving him the thumbs up before racing off.

"Um... I got him?" Ace offered up as Vivian moved closer.

"You got him..." she whispered as she finally tore her eyes from Ace's and looked down at John, happily sleeping against his shirt.

Vivian gently reached out and scooped him from Ace's grip as she hugged him tight against her chest.

"Ace I..." she paused as she looked down at her child safely in her arms. "I don't know what to say..."

Ace shrugged it off as he tried to downplay the emotion he was currently feeling. "It was nothing." He mumbled. "The guys helped."

Vivian looked up at him confused. "Alex and Eyeball said it was all you, you left this morning, told them then went by yourself?" She questioned. "They said you met them at Irbys with the baby after?"

Ace felt his head smile as he nodded. "Yeah yeah that was it. When I said they helped, they helped me work out what to do."

Vivian beamed up at him before looking down at John.

"You didn't have to do it you know?" She once again looked up at Ace.

Ace shrugged it off, he knew deep down he had no choice.

"Baby needs a mum right?" He questioned as he felt himself gulp slightly, was this nerves he was feeling?

Vivian glanced back down at her baby before back up at him.

"Baby also needs a dad." She whispered as she stepped closer.

Leaning up she planted a soft kiss on his cheek before pulling away and smiling sweetly at him once more.

"Thank you Ace."

"You know my real name isn't Ace." He mumbled quickly as she went to walk away.

She stopped and faced him. "I know. Richard told me." She gave Ace a small smile and wink as she laughed slightly, leaving the room.

Ace couldn't wipe the smile from his face as he gently lifted his fingers to his cheek. It felt like it was on fire as he softly touched where she had kissed him.

"How'd it go Romeo?"

Ace snapped from his daydream as he looked up and saw Alex and Eyeball walking in again, cheeky grins on their faces as Ace could swear if he didn't know better he'd have called them twins.

"She kissed my cheek..." He whispered, as though if he properly spoke it, it would make untrue.

"And what did you do?" Eyeball pressed on, seeing Alex's slight grimace.

"Nothing." Ace shook his head slowly. "What was I meant to do?"

Alex himself looked confused. "I mean most guys would kiss the girl back?"

Eyeball nodded in agreement as Ace shook his head.

"She's a mum, I can't do that to her."

Alex shook his head slowly. "Do you seriously think she was ready to be a mum?"

Eyeball shook his head, answering Alex's question.

"And do you seriously think she knows what she's doing?" He questioned.

This time, Alex shook his head, answering Eyeball's question.

"You grew up without a dad Ace..." Eyeball continued, hoping he wouldn't push too far this time. "Hardly fair to condemn a baby to that fate too."

Ace only responded by shaking his head. He pushed through the pair as they watched him go upstairs, hearing a door slam. They gave each other the same look as they went back outside with the others. Vivian was sat in the bed of the truck, John on her lap.

He was awake and currently being entertained by Charlie and Billy, who were pulling funny faces at him. They both put on smiles and rejoined the group as Vivian gave them a look. Alex knew what it meant, even if she didn't herself. She wanted Ace.

Ace watched from his bedroom window as he looked down at her and the baby. Everyone else cooed over him and made the biggest fuss. He lit a cigarette as he watched her hand John over to Alex.

He smoked as he watched her shuffle back into the car, leaning against the back window, as they had done before. Her eyes glanced up at him in the window as it felt like a million words were shared. Yet he still couldn't understand her.

Ace moved away from the window as he crashed down on his bed, flat out on his back he continued to smoke his cigarette. Part of him knew he wanted her but she was the biggest package deal, he'd ever seen. She came with a baby.

He groaned to him as he finished his cigarette, sitting up he stubbed it out on his bedside table as he got up. In a heartbeat he was downstairs. Glancing towards the kitchen and back garden, he thought of going out there. Going and sitting beside her, making that silent promise to stand by her and help her raise the baby.

He looked to the other side as he saw his front door.

He left the house in a split second. Taking another cigarette from his pack he lit it as he walked along the street. Everywhere he glanced he saw young families, happy and together.

A mum and dad fussing over their baby together.

A dad holding hands with his toddler, who trundled along beside him, trying to keep up.

A dad walking just behind his young child, the child happily talking to his dad behind him.

A dad walking side by side with his teenage child, his arm went protectively around his son as the pair shared a hushed conversation.

Ace stopped outside Irbys as he looked at himself in the reflection of the tinted windows.

He'd seen so many dads walking along. Yet as he stared at himself, he wasn't sure what he saw.

Walking inside, he glanced around and saw an older man, sat with a younger one. They both had pints in their hands as he heard a sentence come from the older man.

"My boys first drink." He said with a laugh as both men cheered and took sips.

Ace ran his hand through his hair as he walked over to the bar and demanded a bottle of whiskey. Yet as he unscrewed the lid, he caught his reflection in the mirror.

As before he knew, he'd seen so many dads just walking here. But as before, as his eyes locked on his reflection, he was unsure of what he saw.