forever ~ ian ( pt. 3 )

25 0 90

by softied-

by softied-

ian was 8 and a half, and he was sick of not having a dad. he huffed, looking up at his mom in the middle of dinner, "mum?"

"yeah, ian?" kiernan hummed, nick looking up as well.

"why don't you date uncle nick?"

nick coughed, smacking his chest slightly as he choked on his water.

ian stared at nick, blinking slightly.

kiernan just stared at ian, her breath caught in her throat for a second. "w-why would i d-do that?"

"because daddy's not coming back, and nick would make you happy like daddy." ian shrugged, pushing his food around.

kiernan smiled sadly, looking down and not answering ian's question as she finished dinner.

nick walked into ian's room as the boy was tucking himself in. "hey, ian." he smiled.

"hi, uncle nick. are you staying tonight?" ian asked, looking up.

"is your mum getting scared again?" nick asked, furrowing his eyebrows.

"no, i just want you to stay." ian shrugged, laying down.

nick smiled slightly, "i'll ask your mum if i can stay, but right now i wanna ask you a question."

ian shot up, smiling and turning towards nick. "i like answering questions."

nick laughed slightly, "well, why'd you ask your mum if she was gonna date me?"

"because daddy's not coming back, and you'd make her happy like daddy." ian repeated.

"are you sure that's the only reason?" nick asked quietly, trying to make sure the eight year old hadn't figured out that he was madly in love with kiernan.

ian looked down, frowning slightly. "i wanna have a dad again, a-all the other kids at my school have dads, and i want one."

nick frowned instantly, sighing softly. "'m sorry, buddy. here, get some sleep and maybe you can talk to your mum about it in the morning."

"are you staying?" ian asked again, laying back down.

"if your mum lets me," nick nodded, patting ian's shoulder and walking out of his room.

nick sighed, knocking on kiernan's bedroom door.

"ian-" kiernan started again, opening the door and looking at nick. "he asked you to stay again, didn't he?"

"i told him i'd ask." nick sighed.

kiernan nodded, walking into her bedroom and grabbing the same blanket and pillow that had basically become nick's. "did you ask him about what he said at dinner, by chance?" she asked as she placed the blanket on the couch.

"yeah, i asked. and at first he told me the same thing he told you at dinner..but then i asked if that was the only reason, and he said that he misses having a dad." nick told her quietly as she placed the pillow on the couch.

kiernan looked up, frowning. "what'd you say after that?"

"i told him to get some sleep and that maybe he could talk to you about it in the morning." nick shrugged, sitting down on the couch when she started to walk away.

"..thanks, nick. i'll be sure to talk to him about it." kiernan hummed, almost to her bedroom door before turning. "nick?"

nick looked up, raising an eyebrow. "yeah, spellman?"

"thanks for being there for us," she smiled sadly, walking into her bedroom.

nick smiled slightly, whispering a soft, "anytime." before taking his shoes off and going to bed.