Yearning Hearts Ch. 06

Jonathan played along as he rocked his head from side to side singing those lyrics back to Thomas, replacing woman with man of course.

*****

Three hours later...

Jonathan and Thomas looked at each other awkwardly then turned to look in the back seat. There Belle sat in her car seat looking at them with her beautiful green doe eyes cradling her two bears given to her by both Thomas and Jonathan. Sure she had other toys and even a lot more bears but those were the ones she insisted on taking with her. Another thing that she also insisted was, leaving with them. In fact, when they both announced that they were leaving, she sprang from Jonathan's arms and ran towards her bedroom. At that point, Marian, Thomas and Jonathan all looked at each other questionably.

They were all surprised to say the least given her sudden change in mood. The second they arrived, they had expected her to be ecstatic to see them but when she saw who was at the door she creased he lips angrily, stormed over the couch and sat dramatically with her arms folded. Thomas and Jonathan were dumbfounded; Belle never acted like that before but after Marian explained why she was like that, guilt overtook them.

Apparently she was very upset that neither of them called or came to see her despite her constant request for the two most important men in her life. They both agreed that they'd take turns with her while they tried to get back in her good graces. While Jonathan went off with her to her bedroom, Thomas and Marian stayed on the couch in the living room as they tried to catch up on recent events, namely Thomas' ring.

Thomas watched as Jonathan and Belle descended down the hallway then began, "I'm really sorry about that; we should've reached out sooner. It's just that..." he paused when he turned and faced Marian's fixed gaze on his hand. He made to address it but she beat him to it.

"Is that what I think it is?" She did nothing to conceal her shock but she recovered immediately as her face lit up with a huge blushing grin. She was completely transparent; thankfully he didn't have to wonder if she approved or not. She took his hand in hers and stared adoringly at his ring. "It's freaking gorgeous." She awed then hugged him and kissed his cheek. "I'm so happy for you Tommy."

"Thanks, I appreciate that more than you know." Thomas blushed with his tongue in his cheek then took a deep breath. "To be honest, I actually contemplated taking it off until I left here; I wasn't sure if you'd be ok with it or if it was even appropriate so soon after we split."

"I get it, but you better not let him hear you say that." She smiled as she slid the neckline of his shirt slightly away then ran her thumb over his hickey.

Thomas turned beet red; he thought he was doing a good job of concealing it. He hurriedly covered it with his hand then cleared his throat awkwardly.

Marian giggled then placed her hand over her mouth for the sake of not sounding too loud. "This isn't Disney channel; I know what a hickey is Tommy. I also know what...sex is." She leaned forward and whispered in his ear jokingly. She found it so amusing that it took almost no effort for Thomas to get embarrassed. In all the time she's known him, he's never been that guy but whenever it came to intimate details between him and Jonathan, he got completely shy to the point where it was too adorable. Instead of teasing him some more like she wanted to, she switched over to something she knew they both wanted answers to.

"Soooo...I know we haven't really gone into much detail about..." she had a hard time saying the words. Given that Thomas was now privy of what she and Jonathan did; she felt even guiltier about everything.

Thomas knew right away what she was going to say and he could see how hard it was for her. "Ethan and I talked about it." He took her hands in his and met her eyes. "Obviously I wish I knew the truth from the beginning but at the same time, I wouldn't give up those years with her for anything. She's yours and Ethan's but she's still my little angel. If it's ok with you, I think it's best if we keep things as is for now but when the time is right, she has to know who her dad is." He gave her a reassuring smile when he noticed her eyes welling up. "I know this is beyond weird but we can do this; the three of us can do this together, or four?" He narrowed his eyes amusingly at her then asked. "Are you still with that guy you met at the bar?"

She gave a soft sobbing laugh then answered. "Uh, yeah; Brian and I are great. I'd love for you to meet him soon...and Jonathan too."

"Yeah, I'd love that. Just let us know when and we'll set something up. Speaking of meeting, has Belle met him yet?" He asked curiously.

"No, not yet; we're solid but I wanted at least you to meet him first before I took that step. Whaaat?" she smiled when Thomas began grinning goofily.

"So the poor guys' timeline is entirely up to me then?"

"I wouldn't go that far but being a part of my life means being a part of Belle's and I'd like to think that we're close enough that you'll genuinely let me know if he's not someone you want around her, you know?"

"Yeah...all jokes aside though; I trust that you wouldn't bring a man around our daughter who isn't worthy but the fact that you want my opinion in that aspect, means a lot."

"Uh huh, let's just pray that déjà vu doesn't come to visit this time around. He's quite fluid himself."

"Don't even joke like that." Marian was smiling so he wasn't sure if she was joking or not but he damn sure wasn't.

She giggled uncontrollably as she swiped under her misty eyes with her forefingers. "Oh my God, you should see your face. No offense, but no way in hell would I go through that mess again." This time she got even closer to him and leaned her head on his left shoulder while she held his jeweled hand. "Are you going to get him one too?"

He looked back before he answered to make sure Jonathan wasn't approaching. He lowered his voice as he spoke. "I'm sure he doesn't expect one but I plan on surprising him once we get back. I've already made a few calls."

"Well aren't you the romantic," she teased then snuggled closer.

He was so much like her in that way. They both loved the comfort of someone's body but as innocent and harmless as it was, Jonathan was the only one he wanted embracing him like that and he also wouldn't want Jonathan to seeing them together like that. He was sure Jonathan wouldn't make a big deal out of it but if he ever saw Jonathan with any of his exes like that, he knew he would lose it.

"Can we go see what those two are up to please? I have a feeling I may need a few tips." He wished he had thought about that before he said it. "Jesus, not like that weirdo," he scoffed softly then pulled her to her feet.

"I didn't say anything. You're the one who wants tips." She laughed as she followed Thomas down the hallway.

***

Jonathan sat on a chair facing the window in Belle's bedroom with Belle sitting across his lap with her head on his chest while he rubbed her back in soothing circles. After a full five minutes of listening to his own voice, he realized that she was completely uninterested in anything he had to say. He kissed the top of her head and tried again. "So you're just gonna leave me hanging here? I said I was sorry." She still said nothing.

He turned his head and looked over his shoulder before he said another word. "Tell you what, how about I give you two hundred dollars, would you like that?" As soon as the words left his mouth, he took them back. He cursed himself for his awful parenting skills. Had Thomas or Marian heard him just then, he knew wouldn't hear the end of it, especially from Thomas. "I didn't mean that, let that be our little secret, ok?" finally he got a nod from her but he still wasn't back in her good graces.

He'd gone much longer without seeing her or talking to her so he was really confused as to what could be going on with her but then it occurred to him that she has had to undergo so many changes in her life lately in such a short space of time. From her parents splitting, to moving out of the only house she's ever known, to seeing very little of him and Thomas. Well, not seeing him was one thing but not seeing her dad everyday like she used to, that would make any kid confused more so a three year old who's used to everything being next to perfect.

"Guess you miss daddy a lot don't you?"

She nodded.

"Tell you what, how about I make sure you see him and talk to him a lot more; would you like that?"

She looked up at him with gleeful eyes and nodded again. Finally some progress.

He could feel Thomas' and Marian's eyes on him from behind at the doorway but he didn't bother looking around. "How about me; is it ok if I come along too?"

"Yeah," she giggled softly.

"You sure, cause I could just take Princess Elsa and Princess Belle to the park for ice cream from now on without you."

"No!" She giggled some more then turned to kneel on his lap. "They can't talk. They won't play with you. You have to take me, and daddy and mommy and...and." She trailed off then laid back on his chest.

"Ok, when you think of anyone else you let me know, deal?"

"Deal."

"So are we best friends again?"

"Yeah, but...Sara is my best friend too."

"Oh excuse me, who is Sara?" He pretended to be totally bewildered with insult and hurt but she remedied that with one of her killer smiles then pulled his head down and whispered in his ear. Apparently Sara was her friend from preschool and they sat together and ate together and played together so that made them the bestest friends ever, her words.

Jonathan shrugged. "Ok, I guess I can share, but I'm number one." Right then he raised his thumb over his head to let Thomas and Marian know that everything was going well.

A couple feet away, Thomas was struggling immensely to keep his composure. Luckily Marian was standing before him so she couldn't see the arousal written all over his face. Seeing Jonathan with Belle like that always made him tingly all over.

He knew Jonathan was worried about him seeing them together but all he saw in that moment was the two loves of his life. Just the man he loved embracing his daughter. He didn't feel loss or despair or even an ounce of abandonment like Jonathan feared he would, he however felt more love for them both more than anything.

He managed to put up a neutral front with a warm smile but all he was thinking about in that moment was what he wanted to do to Jonathan once they got to the car. However what he didn't know was that, it wouldn't be just the two of them in the car going to the Donavon's house.

Over the next two hours, they gave Belle all the attention she wanted and in that time, they collectively decided to break the news to Belle that her dad and Godfather were now together. At first she was puzzled as she didn't quite understand what they meant, but then Marian suggested showing her Thomas' ring. They told her that, just like her mom and dad fell in love and got married, so did Thomas and Jonathan and they too were going to get married. It still wasn't crystal clear but she understood somewhat, which was all they could hope for and the bonus about it was that she seemed very excited about it.

A bit later back in the living room, Marian happened to mention that she wouldn't be having thanksgiving dinner with her family this time around so it would just be her and Belle and maybe a few friends. They had no clue that Belle was listening to their conversation especially when she had fallen asleep in Jonathan's arms, as well as she was an extremely heavy sleeper, but obviously she did because when Thomas announced that it was time for them to hit the road, she miraculously woke up in that moment, wriggled free from Jonathan's arms, told them to wait for her and ran towards her room.

Jonathan and Thomas both looked to Marian hoping she could explain what that meant but she was equally as confused. Initially they thought that she was just upset because they were leaving but upon reaching her bedroom, they saw her placing clothes neatly into her hello kitty travel bag. It took all they had not to fall into a fit of laughter.

"Uh...sweetie, what are you doing?" Marian asked as she approached Belle.

Without the slightest pause in her packing or looking at her mom, Belle responded. "I wanna go with daddy and uncle Jonty." In addition to superman, she also called Jonathan uncle Jonty because after countless times of trying to pronounce his name correctly, someone would laugh and she didn't think it was very funny.

They found it beyond hilarious but the incredible thing about it was that she actually knew what she was packing. She packed two pairs of shoes, a blanket, her PJ'S, underwear, three blouses, and two dresses.

"But sweetheart, we didn't say you were going with daddy. Remember I told you that daddy was going to Uncle Jonathan's mommy and daddy for Thanksgiving?" Marian spoke to her softly and sympathetically.

As soon as she said those words, Belle's eyes began to water. Thomas took that as his cue to intervene and picked her up. "Don't cry; you know daddy hates it when his baby girl cries. Do you want daddy to cry too?" While Thomas tried to get her to calm down, Jonathan took that time to pull Marian aside and talk to her.

"I don't know what's gotten into her."Marian told Jonathan as she looked over at Thomas holding Belle.

"She misses him. I'm sure she'd be the same if the situation was reversed. She's used to the both of you, not one." As Jonathan spoke to her, he noticed that she was forcefully trying not to meet his eyes but he continued anyway. "Listen, I know everything between us has been chaotic lately and unfortunately she's has gotten caught in the middle." When she turned and looked up at him, he pulled her further out into the hallway. He hadn't had a one on one with her since they arrived and he felt like he needed to.

Thomas wondered why Jonathan wanted to be alone with Marian but he decided to ignore it and maybe ask later.

"You don't have to try so hard to avoid looking at me, you know." Jonathan told her Marian jokingly. He could sense her discomfort around him and he figured he'd break the ice before he went any further. "Oh there she is," he managed to get a smile when he started laughing softly.

"I'm sorry, I just feel guilty that you had to suffer all that backlash for what we did." She spoke with pure remorse.

"No, don't be. Don't ever be sorry for that. I asked you to lie so that means I was prepared for consequences granted that the truth came out. I had no idea that Thomas and I would be in this place, but back then I was well aware of what I was asking you." He held her arm as he spoke to her intently.

She nodded with understanding.

"Ok, so now that that's out of the way, what do you say about coming with us? Mom's mac and cheese is..."

"Let me stop you right there, believe me, there are no complaints where Juliette's mac and cheese is concerned, but we both know your mom and I aren't exactly the best of friends sooo..."

"Yeah, I almost forgot about that." Jonathan chuckled as he raked his fingers through his hair.

"Yeah, but Belle seems more than eager to join you two. She missed you guys a lot and I think this would be a great opportunity to let her spend some quality time with her grandparent, without the formalities of course. We can wait until she knows who you really are first."

*****

Jonathan ended up giving Juliette a heads up about taking Belle with them before they arrived but he regretted it the second he arrived. Belle was more than familiar with who her god dad's parents were and loved them to bits but never had she received that amount of attention from them before; they were virtually smothering the poor child. He knew they wanted grand kids but he must've mistaken the extent to how much, because what he was witnessing was next level compulsive coddling.

Richard was the strong, powerful, undaunted, worldly Patriarch of the Donavon family while Juliette was the equally strong, supportive, nurturing, compassionate, witty matriarch. However, presently those titles were gone, they were just grandparents and they were apparently making up for lost time.

Jonathan wasn't against them bonding with her, but he didn't want Belle getting confused with so many changes all at once and so soon. Just as he was about to say something about it, Thomas pulled him to the next room and sat him down.

Thomas sat down beside him but Jonathan immediately pulled him to sit on his lap. Thomas was trying to avoid that most of all; he didn't want the in-laws walking in on them like that; especially Richard but he knew there was no point bringing that up with Jonathan. The arm around his waist caressing him was starting to get his blood pumping so he placed his hand over Jonathan's to cease the motion. He then placed his hand around Jonathan's neck and ran his hand through his hair caressingly. With that he knew Jonathan would start to relax and eventually start to talk about what was going through his mind.

"She'll be ok, right? I mean she's only three for God's sake and everything is happening so fast, I just...and don't get me started on my parents; Jesus, you'd think they'd never met the kid before. What the heck is up with that? I thought we'd at least get to tell them about our engagement first but it's like no one else exists; this is insane, no they're insane."

Thomas waited until he finished said all that he wanted to, and then added, "In case you haven't noticed, Belle is eating up every second of that extra attention; she loves it. As for your parents, don't fault them for being so happy. They just found out they have a granddaughter. I don't know what they're feeling right now, but I can just imagine what else they have in store for her. I'm just happy that she's so loved; that's all that matters."

"And this? Jonathan held Thomas' hand and kissed his jeweled finger. "Or would you rather not saying anything just yet? I'll understand if you're not ready; we can go entirely at your pace, I promise."

Thomas placed a longing kiss on is lips and forehead. "No, we're going at our pace. Don't worry, we'll tell them; let's just give em some time to fuss over their grandchild for a bit; they deserve that."

"Yeah, you're right." Jonathan slipped his hand under Thomas' t-shirt then began kissing on his neck. He then pressed his lips to his temple and whispered. "Now what do ya say we run upstairs and kill some time, if you get what I mean?"

"Yeeeah abooout that," Thomas chuckled awkwardly as he held Jonathan's head in both his hands to make sure he was being heard clearly. "There won't be any sneaking around while we're here mister."

Jonathan looked clueless; he had no idea what was going on. "What does that mean?"

"It means exactly what I said. We're not having sex here. It feels weird, just the thought alone creeps me out. You understand right?" He lowered his voice as he whispered to

Jonathan guiltily. "I would fucking die if your parents heard us screwing, and as big as this place is, you don't exactly make it easy to be quiet." He intentionally threw a little flirting in the mix in attempt to ease Jonathan's mind but obviously that made it worse.

Jonathan laughed softly. "You're kidding, right?" Jonathan honestly thought Thomas was busting his balls but then he shook his head no. "Ok, I get the weird part but sweetheart come on, I'll put bolts on the door and slide a towel under it if I have to. How many days do we have here, 1,2...oh no fucking way!" He actually spaced out for a second but when he did look at Thomas it was to find him smiling; it wasn't funny at all.

There were four days left until they had to go back to the city, surely Thomas didn't intend to keep him in the freaking dog house until then. Sure, he could handle four days without getting any; it's not like he was a sex addict or anything, at least not entirely. He'd understand if he did something wrong but he was basically being punished for being good. Right then he slid Thomas from his lap to sit on the couch then stood and looked at Thomas who was nibbling on his bottom lip and looking up at him innocently. "You know, I wished you'd have told me that before you sat on my lap."