hello little girl // p.m. (beatles au)

- S I X -

- december 1982 -

It was Christmas Eve; nearly a month since Dani moved in with Paul. She continued to sleep in his bed and wear some of his clothes as pajamas, especially when she wanted to feel closer to him. They woke up at the same time and sang various, happy tunes as they got dressed and while they brushed their teeth together, giggling in the bathroom mirror. Dani didn't quite know what she was to Paul or what she'd consider who Paul was to her, but that didn't matter. She loved him.

None of Dani's school friends knew she was living with him and that she was so attracted to him. They were only aware of the fact that she worked at the pizzeria and that her parents had gone to jail, and even though she trusted them, she knew she had to keep the fact that she was living with and sleeping in the same bed as the same person who employed her a secret.

Paul also had his own secrets to keep. He had to hide from all of his customers, employees, everyone -- that he was now the legal guardian of Dani. He had to force himself to stop being so friendly and flirtatious around her during business hours as to not raise suspicion from anyone else.

But McCartney's Pizzeria was closed for the holiday, and Paul was glad that he finally had a break from not being able to express his affection for Dani. He wanted this night to be special, the night that he and Dani could finally become more than just "friends".

***

"Dani, come here, I want to show you something," Paul said from the kitchen.

Dani placed her last gift under the large Christmas tree that sat proudly in the living room, then rushed over to Paul to see what he wanted.

"Yeah, what is it?" she asked joyfully.

"Well, I know you've been waiting for this for a while now," Paul began, shutting a few of the cupboard cabinets. "But I want to teach you how to make a pizza."

Dani jumped and ran over to hug Paul, a wide smiled growing on her face. "Really?"

"Yes, of course." Grinning, Paul jerked his head to the side, then took Dani's hand. "C'mon, let's go downstairs." Dani giggled as he led her down to the shop's kitchen.

Paul removed the dough from the fridge and Dani found the sauce and cheese, then the two of them got to work. Full of giggles and fun Christmas songs, they danced and sang while preparing the pie.

Once the giant pizza was covered in toppings of Paul and Dani's choices, they each slid it inside of the oven.

"This is the best Christmas I've had in awhile," Dani stated, removing her oven mitts.

"Well, I could say the same myself," Paul laughed, hanging his own mitts on the hook nailed above the backsplash. He took Dani's and did the same with hers.

Paul then leaned against the counter and crossed his arms, studying Dani as she grinned at him. I need to have her by tonight, I need to, Paul thought as he dreamily focused on her adorable face.

"I'm simply having a wonderful Christmas time with you, Dani," he said to her in a low voice, hoping to get an equally seductive-sounding reaction out of her.

Instead, Dani giggled and slapped Paul's arm. "You're so corny, Paulie!"

"Hey!" Paul yelled, scrunching his face up and rubbing his arm as if it hurt.

Dani giggled some more, then ran into the dining area.

"You get back here, little girl!" Paul demanded, smiling and chasing after her.

Dani hid under a table, then hopped up and darted into another room when she saw Paul coming after her. The place began to sound like a daycare full of children; the two of them kept chasing each other around the place, the room filled with screams and giggles with Christmas music playing softly in the background.