Mishy (Scomiche)

Chapter Ten

Ignore the fact that if you do the math, it wouldn't actually be Saturday, please. ANYWAY, thanks for the support! Expect less frequent updates with the whole September prompt challenge going on and the whole college thing. Love you guys! Enjoy and leave me lots of love in the comments.

-

Scott wakes up to an empty bed and a pounding head. He regrets every single drink last night and remembers why he stopped going out. The sun peeking into his room is too bright, and he groans when he accepts that he does have to get up.

In a moment of panic, remembering that he has a daughter, he jolts out of bed. Running on pure adrenaline, ignoring the throbbing in his brain, he rushes to her bedroom, all the air escaping his lungs when she isn't there.

Scott races around, opening doors to the bathroom, guest bedroom, before making his way into larger rooms. He hears quiet giggling coming from the kitchen and clutches his chest when he rounds the corner to find Mitch and Bailey sitting at the island, enjoying cereal.

"Are you okay?" Mitch asks, a frown melting away the pretty smile he had just had gracing his lips.

Bailey turns, smiling brightly, "Dada!"

He lets out a relieved breath, hugs Bailey who offers her arms.

"I'm fine," he says, grimaces when he notices the pounding in his head again. "Actually, I could use some advil."

Mitch grabs some from the drawer and fills a cup of water for Scott, passing them both over the island. He takes them gratefully, chugging down the water.

"It's Saturday," Scott says, earns a quirked brow from Mitch.

"That's right. Seemed like you could use a little help, though."

Bailey pushes her plate towards Mitch with a quiet, "all done," before scurrying off toward her room. Scott realizes she's still in her pajamas.

"I'm sorry I overslept. You don't have to stay."

Mitch frowns, "I don't have to but maybe I want to."

Scott takes a seat on one of the stools set around the island, hopes to calm his blurry mind. "Okay, sorry, I - I'm hungover."

"I can tell," Mitch says. He clears Bailey's plate and loads up the dishwasher. When he's finished, he makes his way around the counter, starts cornering Scott in. His hand reaches to cup Scott's jaw but he frowns instead when Scott moves away. "What's wrong?"

"You're Bailey's nanny," he whispers.

"Yeah?"

"Doesn't that make this wrong?"

Mitch sighs, "I don't feel wrong. Why are you fighting this?"

"Dada!" Bailey's voice echoes from the hall. Scott backs farther away, a frown pulling down the corners of his lips.

"We can talk about this later, okay?" He says quietly. Mitch only nods sadly, grabbing Scott's abandoned cup and washing it as Scott finds his daughter.

-

All Bailey ends up wanting is help picking her outfit. Her bed is half-made as Scott lays some clothes out on it for her, and she shuffles into her pretty clothes while he fixes the bed. She insists that she's already brushed her teeth, and Scott is brushing through her hair, about to style it into a loose bun, when she asks if Mitchy will braid it for her.

He shrugs, hands her the brush, and she scurries off to the kitchen, leaving Scott to only his thoughts. He thinks about earlier, in the kitchen with Mitch, and how he had acted like such an asshole. He shouldn't have shied away from Mitch's touch, and he definitely shouldn't have used him being Bailey's nanny as an excuse - not when the real reason is because Mitch said he loved him last night.

-

The day passes slowly, and Scott isn't able to say much to Mitch - like apologize - without alerting Bailey that something might be wrong, so he does his best to avoid Mitch. Of course, this means he's sacrificing time that he would typically spend with his daughter, since she adores Mitch and wants to play with him, and talk to him, and do things with him. Hell, Mitch could at least braid her fucking hair.

Scott sighs, burying his head into his hand as he stares at his blank computer screen. He's done nothing much other than look up a few things about how his current artist is doing, checked the charts, read some reviews.

Later on he hears Bailey's door shut, almost thanks the lord for having elected to put his office almost directly across the hall from her bedroom, because it allows him to peek his head out of the door and watch Mitch walking away.

"Mitch," he says loudly - although not loud enough to awake his daughter.

He spins on his heel, "hi."

"Can we talk?" Scott gestures toward the end of the hall, toward where Mitch was going.

"Yeah, of course."

They walk silently but sit closely on the couch.

"I'm sorry," Scott blurts. "I've been so nervous, and it's making me act like someone I know I'm not. I shouldn't have gotten drunk last night, and I shouldn't be so concerned that you're Bailey's nanny. She loves you, and if I'm honest with myself, she would probably be super excited if she knew we were a thing. Maybe that's why I'm so nervous, you know? What if I mess up and send you running away and then Bailey loses one of the best people in her life - I lose one of the best people in my life."

"Scott," Mitch whispers, rests his hand on Scott's knee. "You won't."

He swallows, "I feel like I'm just being sucked in so deep already, and it's so scary. I haven't felt like this in a long time, and I don't want to rush into things - I can't rush into things. Not when Bailey is involved."

"I know she always comes first, Scott. You're such a good dad that way and it's one of the most amazing things about you. In the end, though, you need to make sure you're taking care of yourself, too. She needs you to be happy, Scotty." Mitch runs his hand up to Scott's cheek, brushes his knuckles against the scruff covering his jaw.

"I am happy. Whenever I'm around you, my heart feels so full."

"Mine too," Mitch whispers, starts pressing forward. Scott wants to taste him in the moment, knows he can't yet.

"But there's something else, first."

"What is it?"

"Last night," Scott gnaws on his lip, worries it between his teeth. "Did you say you loved me?"

"I-" Mitch starts, his hand dropping away from Scott's cheek. He picks at his fingers instead. "I did. I didn't mean to slip up like that. I just - well, now it's out. I guess I was hoping you'd maybe forget, because I thought it was too early to say I love you, but I guess there isn't really a right time, is there? So, yeah, last night I said it, but right now I mean it; I love you."

"You don't think it's too soon? You love me?"

Mitch softens, places his hand back down on Scott's knee. "I've known you for what feels like an eternity. I know your flaws, your strengths. I've been there for the highs and the lows. I want to be there for more. So, yes. I'll say it again. I love you, Scott."

Scott pulls him close, presses their lips gently together, and cups Mitch's jaw tenderly as their foreheads rest together.

Scott smiles softly, "then I guess it's not too soon for me to say I love you, too."