Hardzello One Shots❤

The monitor {Part two}

Ben's Pov

Joe and I have been dating for a little over two years now. I have to admit it's the longest relationship I've ever had. Which means Joe must be very special. But I knew that already.
We've shared so many lovely moments together.
Thanks to Joe and Daisy, I feel like I finally have a real family again.
I've been living in New York for more than six years now, and my whole family still lives in London.
I've only dated one person for a few months, but that didn't last very long. So after we broke up, I turned back to being lonely again.
And now here I am. Living with my beautiful boyfriend and his adorable daughter. Although I've started seeing Daisy a little bit as a daughter of my own after those two years.
I never thought I'd found happiness like this.

I'm on my way with my car to Daisy's school to pick her up.
Normally Joe does, but he got stuck at work today. He's playing in a new movie, and is making quite long days. But I can see he's really excited about it, so I can only be happy about that.
Once I've arrived at Daisy's school, I walk over to one of the benches at the school playground. Joe told me he always waits at the same bench for Daisy, so she knows where to find him.
While waiting for the school day to end, I look around to all the parents waiting.
After waiting a few minutes, a bell rings, indicating that school's out.
Immediately kids storm outside, cheering because their school day is over.
It doesn't take long before Daisy comes outside as well. She's dragging her little pink backpack along with her while rushing over to me.
"Hi Ben!" She exclaims before hugging me.
I smile widely. "Hi love. How was school?" I ask while taking over her backpack from her.
"It was so much fun!" Daisy says enthusiastically.
"Good. Are you ready to go home?" I ask with a soft chuckle.
"Can I please go play with my friend Lara on the swings before we leave? Just a few minutes?" Daisy looks at me with her puppy eyes. She's really good at those eyes.
"Sure sweetheart, go have fun." I say with a wink.

With a smile I watch Daisy having fun at the swings. It may sound very cliché, but seeing Daisy smile like that, makes me smile as well.
For a moment my attention goes from Daisy to my phone, which just beeped. I take it out of my pocket to see who messaged me.
I smile when I see it's Joe. He just texted me, telling me he'll be home in about fifty minutes. I quickly type him a message back before shoving my phone back into my pocket.
When I look at the swing set again, I see Daisy and her friend aren't there anymore.
I quickly scan my surroundings to see where she is. Not even a second later she's standing next to me, tears running down her eyes.
"Owh no, what happened?" I ask as I lift her onto my lap.
"I fell off the swings." Daisy says with a soft sob. "My- my knee hurts Benny." She adds before pressing one side of her face against my chest.
"Shhh, let me see it sweetheart." I say before carefully rolling up the leg of her trousers. I smile reassured when I see there isn't a big wound on her knee or something.
"It's just a little scrape, you're okay." I say to Daisy before gently pressing a kiss on her knee. "How about we go home and put some ice on it? After that you can have one of those ice creams from the freezer, as consolation."
As soon as I've said the word 'ice cream', a small smile appears on Daisy's face. She sniffles softly and nods. She puts her arms around my chest and hugs me. "Thanks dad."
My heart skips a beat when she says that. She has never called me 'dad' before. But it also didn't seem like she said it by accident.
I snap out of my thoughts, and give Daisy a kiss on her head. "Let's go home and get you that ice cream sweetheart."

●●●

Later that night, Joe is putting Daisy to bed while I'm loading the dishwasher.
It's a standard routine we have every night. Either me or Joe puts Daisy to bed when it's her bedtime, while the other one cleans up the kitchen a bit.
In the weekends the three of us mostly watch a movie together or something.
Once I'm done in the kitchen, I walk back into the living room.
I turn on the baby monitor before sitting down on the couch. Even now Daisy is six years old, we still turn on the monitor every night. Daisy is quite scared of the dark, so sometimes she suddenly gets a bit upset in the middle of the night. Thanks to the monitor we are with her on time when it happens.
"And they lived happily ever after. The end." I hear Joe say through the monitor.
"Can we read one more story dad?" Daisy asks him. I smile. She always loves to read fairy tales.
"No love, tomorrow we'll read another story, okay? It's bedtime." Joe says.
I gotta say I'm quite surprised to hear that. Normally he always gives in when she asks for another story. Although I often do too. Daisy can pout as the best, making you go all soft.
I can hear footsteps via the monitor.
"Wait, daddy?"
The footsteps stop. "Yes Flower?"
"Can Ben be my dad too?" I hear Daisy ask. Now I know why she suddenly called me dad this afternoon. It has been on her mind before.
"But isn't he your dad a bit already?" Joe says to her.
"Yes, but I mean for real!" I can hear the excitement in Daisy's voice. She's too cute.
"Then we'd have to be married first. But don't worry sweetheart, Ben won't leave us, if that's what you're afraid of."
Once I hear Joe saying that, I get up from the couch. I unplug the baby monitor, so Joe certainly can't overhear anything.
I quickly grab something from one of the drawers, and shove it into my pocket.
I walk over to Daisy's bedroom. I chuckle softly when I see Joe's questioning look. "I got it from here." I say with a wink before pressing my lips against Joe's.
"Uhm, okay?" Joe giggles. "Goodnight Flower." He says to Daisy.
"Goodnight daddy."
He gives me another kiss before leaving the bedroom.
I walk over to Daisy's bed, and sit down next to her.
She immediately snuggles close to me, curling up in my side.
"How's your knee? Did the choco ice cream work?" I ask her with a grin.
She nods with a soft giggle. "My pain is gone! Thank you Benny." She says before she hugs me.
Without any hesitation I join the hug. "Of course sweetheart." I say softly during the hug.