For what feels like the thousandth time this night Daisy's cries wake me from my light-as-feather sleep, and for the first time since she and her mother started living with me, I feel the huge need to pull my pillow over my head and just ignore her.

And yes, immediately after that thought, I feel like shit because she can't help it either. She's a baby.

"Daisy, ssshhh," Jo hoarsely whispers from beside me, the same desperation that I feel laced in the tones of her voice. "I don't know what's wrong with her."

I don't know for sure either, but I have an idea. She's in a house she doesn't know, and on top of that, she suddenly needs to share her bed with me and Jo. She's not used to that.

I grunt something incoherent, my eyes never opening because I'm simply not able to. I haven't felt as shit as this in so fucking long; it feels as if I had a bucket of Jack. Fuck that, after a bucket of Jack I usually felt better than I do now.

I feel Jo shuffle beside me, and a moment later Daisy's cries fade, and the familiar sound of gulping milk fills my ears. It's then that my eyes finally agree with me and carefully open.

I turn my head to the side. Jo's eyes are closed again, in her forehead a deep, tiring frown. Daisy is drinking as if she hasn't had milk in years, her fists angrily pressing in the swell of Jo's breast and her sobs full of reproach. As if it's an insult she has to cry to get something to drink.

I crack my neck, moving my head from one side to the other and noticing how it's no longer dark outside because of the stream of light that peaks through the curtains. The last time Dais was awake, it was three in the morning, so we must've slept a few hours, even though it feels like minutes.

"What time is it?" Jo's voice pipes up again, reading my mind. I look at her again, but I still find her with eyes closed. The frown is gone though; her expression is now worry-free and relaxed.

"I'll check," I mumble, my voice even worse than how I feel. And here I thought Dais was an angel.

I stretch out my arm until I find the bedside table, and then blindly move over the platform until I get a hold of my phone. When I've found it, I unlock the screen with my thumb, immediately squinting my eyes because of the bright light.

"It's just after seven," I answer Jo's question before throwing my phone back on the nightstand. I then turn so I have them in my vision again. "She did sleep for four hours. Feels like four minutes, though."

Jo giggles, her tired but happy eyes on me while Dais enjoys her breakfast. "Maybe she'll fall asleep after this. We can sleep a little more as well."

"You think? I doubt it." I shake my head to give my words more power. No way this little bundle is gonna grant us any more sleep than we had.

"We'll see," Jo mumbles, her head now bowed so she can look at Daisy. "I like your old room. Even though we didn't sleep that well, it really feels like home. And like you."

"Like me?" I raise my eyebrow, my drowsy state replaced by an amused one.

She nods her head, her tired eyes going through my old room again. "Yes. It's soaked in things that scream Hero. The posters, the colors, I don't know, just everything. It's also the same style as your house, even though it's obviously much smaller. It's why I feel at home here."

And just like that, my chest fills with warmth and all I can do is smile. Titan and I decorated my room way before I even met her, but the fact that she can still connect it to me tells me she knows me well.

"I love this house. It brings back the memories of when I was younger," I tell her while looking through the room as well.

Funnily enough, everything is pretty much the same as when I left a year ago. I think mum comes in here to clean once in a while, but she hasn't changed a single thing. It's the same with Titan's room; when I still lived here, I more than once suggested turning his room into a game room, but mum never agreed. It was Titan's room, and it would stay Titan's room. Just like this one will always belong to me.

"Did your dad live here too?" She asks after a short silence, and when I look at her I can tell she was hesitant about asking this question. I haven't told her much about dad, even though that hasn't got a particular reason.

"Yeah, he did. I've lived here my whole life. Mum and dad moved in here when Titan was six months. When mum and dad separated, dad left so as little as possible would change for us. They always made sure that we didn't notice the nasty stuff of their divorce, although I don't believe it was a nasty affair at all. They were very mature about it, I guess."

I don't miss how she has her attention solely on me. Her hand has stopped stroking Daisy's back, and her lips are parted slightly as she listens to me.

"Are you close to your dad?" She asks when I fall silent. She's eager to know more, and I can imagine what she must feel like right now. Whenever she talks to me, I feel the same way; eager and ready to get to know more about her.

"I am. I'm closer to mum, as you probably guessed, but I love my dad. We have a lot in common and he is always there when I need him. He lives in Hackney, so it's a little further away, but normally I see him at least once a week." I scratch my eyebrow before answering the unspoken question her expression asks me. "I haven't told him about you and Dais yet, but he knows. Mum and dad still have good contact, and she told him for me. I have been so caught up in our thing, I forgot."

Her face falls as she nods her head, her eyes cast to Dais again.

"But it's not a bad thing at all," I ensure her. "Everyone around me understands. I just have to get used to everything, and they give me that time. It's my choice, Jo. I choose to focus on you and Dais for now, and they respect that."

"But it still feels wrong for you to give everything up for me," she counters.

"I'm not giving anything up. My dad will always be my dad. And my friends will always be there too. They understand. Besides, they all have their own lives. Alex just told me how Felix has his head up his ass ever since he's got shit with Elif," I chuckle as I recall what he told me during New Year's Eve. Out of all my friends, it's Alex whom I suspect will be the fifty-year-old bachelor still.

"My point is," I continue when Jo doesn't seem to get the joke. "We're all growing up. And that requires adjustment, from all of us. But I know them well enough to be sure that nothing will change. We're just adding things, you know?"

I'm adding you and Dais, I silently add, but I think she will figure that out eventually.

"Okay," she mumbles, still not sounding completely convinced. "I just hope you know that you don't have to cancel things for me. If you want to go to your dad or friends, you can. I'll be fine."

"I know you'll be fine." I nod and lift my hand to her cheek, moving some of her hair behind her ear. "Right now I just like being with you. And Dais." I give her a reassuring smile, which she returns with a shy one of her own. "Also, I was planning on calling dad soon. I want you to meet him, if that's okay with you?"

Her cheeks color and she nods her head right after my question is out, almost as if she was expecting it. "If you want me to," she answers modestly.

I grin and nod. "I'll call him today," I confirm.

I throw another glance at Dais, and I'm just in time to see her release Jo's nipple. Jo's hisses, and then she slowly sits up, taking Daisy with her so she can burp. As always, Dais does the moment she sits up straight, and both Jo and I laugh because of it.

"Safe to say she is okay," I grin, and Jo giggles in response while shaking her head.

"I guess." She's patting Dais' back carefully, and another soft burp follows suit.

"She's not going back to sleep." I shake my head and then nod to the girl in Jo's arms. Her blue eyes -wide-open and even a little cheeky- are staring at me, her lips folded around her two fingers. She's asking me what we're up to, oblivious to the fact that all I want to do is go back to sleep.

A knock on the door stops Jo from saying something, and after I've made sure Jo is covered properly, I mumble a, "Come in."

The door cracks as it opens, the familiar sound making me smile. Then mum's head peeps in, her face make-up free, but I can tell she is awake for some time.

"Good morning," she whispers, her smile radiant as ever. "How did you sleep?"

"Could've been better," I chuckle at the same time as Jo says, "Not that great."

Mum laughs and then steps into my old room. "I expected that. I heard her a couple of times through the night. Did she have cramps again?"

Jo shakes her head while she shifts Dais so she can hold her in her arms. "I'm not sure what was wrong, but I don't think it was cramps."

Mum nods knowingly. "Sometimes you just don't know what's wrong with them. That's another thing that never changes." She winks at Jo, who giggles. Since I don't understand what's so funny about that, I assume it's something between them.

"I was thinking," mum then continues, her arms folded in front of her. "If you want to sleep in for a bit, I can take Daisy with me downstairs? I can imagine you two are tired."

Before I even fully register what mum's proposing, Jo sits up a little more while she says, "Oh, that's so nice of you! But don't you mind? I can't imagine you slept through the night while Daisy cried like that."

"Oh, no, I absolutely don't mind, dear. I know how tiring these first weeks are. I'd love to take her off your hands for a bit." Mum walks over to our bed, and a huge smile spreads across my face as I witness how Jo hands Dais to my mum with ease, not a trace of the hesitation she had when I first met her.

"I've just fed her, so I think she'll be okay for about three hours," Jo says when she sits back on her spot, with her back against the headboard.

"We'll be fine," mum assures, her attention almost entirely on Daisy already. She only lifts her head when she says, "You two catch up on some sleep. When you're awake, I'll make breakfast." With that, she turns around and leaves the room, effortlessly, and with a content Daisy in her arms.

"Your mum is just amazing," Jo sighs, shaking her head as if she can't fully believe what just happened. "It's so quiet suddenly."

I just chuckle and lay back down, turning my pillow around so I have that toughness back. "Just lay down and enjoy it."

"Seriously, you are so lucky to have a mom like that," Jo presses as she sneaks underneath the duvet properly, pulling her pillow underneath her head and then turning to her side, her back to me.

"I know," I tell her while sneaking my arm around her waist and pulling her against me. Since Dais slept in between us, I wasn't able to hold her through the night, so I damn well gonna make up for that now. "Whenever I'm home, she loves to be that perfect mum, you know? Making breakfast and stuff. It's like a mini-holiday every time."

Jo mumbles something I can't quite make out as she wiggles on her spot to once again find that comfortable position. By doing so, she bumps her ass against my front a few times, and I lift my arm slightly to give her a little more room to move.

After a moment, she seems comfortable. I hear her sigh, and I feel her hand on mine, guiding my arm back around her, my hand resting on her belly.

"Comfortable?" I mumble, my nose in her hair.

She hums, nodding her head but not answering with words. And for just a few minutes, we lay like that. My eyes start to burn again and my limbs become havier, sleep slowly pulling me to its side once more.

But just as I'm on the brink of falling asleep, Jo starts to squirm again. It's subtle, and it first starts with just her upper body that she wiggles against my chest a little more, but it's enough to stop me from tumbling.

I lift my arm a little again, giving her the room she needs to get comfortable. It takes longer this time; she sighs a few times -a little annoyed if I'm correct- and she also starts wiggling her behind again, pressing it against me more purposely than before.

Christ, it's morning. I can't handle this right now.

She falls still for a moment which makes me think she is finally comfortable, but when I drop my arm around her once more, she starts wiggling again. She's breathing a little heavier too, and the whimpers that ever so often fall from her lips are strangely erotic, even though I know she can't mean them like that.

"What's wrong, love?" I whisper when she doesn't stop. I've lifted my arm again, but she is grabbing my hand and pulling it down, obviously not wanting me to give her that room.

At first, she stays silent, her hips now very slowly -and hesitantly- rotating against my groin. She's doing this on purpose; I can tell because it's the same movement over and over again. It's subtle and careful, but it's there, and I have no doubt that she feels what it does to me.

Fuck, she must; there is no option for me to hide it since she is pressing against me completely. And I'm rock hard.

"Jo?" I breathe, the heat spreading over my back up to my neck. I had no idea that she could move like this; she's grinding against me -hesitant and shy, but steady- and all I can do is let her.

"Yes?" She whispers back, her voice sounding different. She sounds warm, lush, and turned on. I'd recognize that tone from anywhere even though I've only heard her talk like this for very short words.

I nuzzle my nose in her neck, lifting my head slightly so I can reach that spot just underneath her ear. "What you're doing?"

Her grip on my hand increases, her hand also pressing mine against her belly a little more. Because of her movements, her shirt has ridden up slightly, so my hand is partly in contact with her warm skin.

"I'm warm," she whispers, moving her head to the side just a little bit so her neck is bared to me a little more. "And I'm shaking a little."

Her hips rotate again, and the action causes my cock to fall right between the curve of her ass cheeks. It fits fucking perfectly, and I can't help but groan at the feeling. She's only wearing panties, so I feel her so damn good; every curve and every dip.

"But does it feel good?" I murmur, my lips pressing against the skin of her neck while her rotations make place for a movement up and down, still carefully and shy. But it feels even fucking better.

"Yes," she whimpers, no question or hesitation in her answer. Her hand is clenching mine that's still flat on her belly, the heat drastically rising underneath the duvet.

I chuckle and then kiss her neck, grazing my tongue against her skin too. The taste of her skin -a little salty and the feeling hot- sends a shock straight to my cock, and I have no doubt that she feels it bump against her.

I kiss her just underneath her ear, dragging my tongue down over the vein that throbs just underneath her skin before leaving tiny kisses as I go up again. I feel how her hold on my hand disappears, and a second later I feel that same hand lace in the strands of my hair.

She's pushing my head against her more, her fingers now having a solid grip on my hair. A tiny moan falls from her lips as her body trembles against me, her bum still slowly moving up and down against my erection.

I flatten my hand a little more so it's covering almost her entire belly, and then I pull her more against me. She gasps at the feeling, her hand pulling my hair in surprise which causes me to moan too.

Where the hell is this going?

Just when I want to ask her that exact question in a more subtle way, she turns her head. The movement is forcing me to pull my lips from her neck, and when I open my eyes, she has turned her head so her now dark-blue eyes -wide and full of lust- are looking at up me.

"Hi," I breathe, my eyes altering from her blue orbs to her plump lips. She must've wet them with her tongue; they glimmer and look inviting as fuck. "You good? This?" I'm unable to form any sentences that make sense.

She doesn't nod. Her lips just part, and her eyes move to my mouth before she licks hers. And then she slowly moves forward until she kisses me.

It's tentative at first, the movements of her bum against my groin subsiding. But when I move my fingers against the skin of her belly and encourage her with my mouth, she seems to have found the courage to do what she wants.

Her kiss becomes determined, a second later her tongue slides over my lip, forcing me to grant her entrance. The moment her tongue slides along mine, she seems to lose all the doubt and shyness. It's only now that I realize how much better she's gotten at kissing. Christ.

For a few minutes, we kiss. Our tongues lazily circle one another, ever so often our lips come into play too. I even nipped her lower lip with my teeth a few times, which is something that made her moan.

I don't know how long we lay like this. All I know is that the movements of her bum against my erection are becoming more and more difficult for me to bear. The kiss gets more sloppy too, and she's pulling my hair so hard, I think I will feel it for a while.

And then, she turns her body slightly so she's laying on her back. We've lost the contact down below; my cock is now fighting the restrictions of my boxers, only slightly pressing against her hip. Her hand leaves my hair too and moves to my hand that's still on her belly again.

And while she keeps the kiss up as if nothing is happening, I feel her guide my hand down. My fingers graze her bellybutton, and when the tip of my middle finger comes into contact with the fabric of her panties, I know that I'm not hallucinating.

Without saying anything and without pulling my mouth from hers, I switch our hands so hers is underneath mine. I feel how she stills for a moment, so I pull away from her slightly and open my eyes.

Hers are still closed, her lips red from my assault. When her eyes flutter open, I hardly recognize the shade they have. They're bright but fucking dark, it's incredible. "You do it." I hoarsely whisper.

She licks her lips but her hand doesn't move, so I take a deep breath -ordering myself to keep it in check- and then guide her hand into her panties.

She's hot. There's no question that this is making her feels the same way it does me. I'm not even touching her, but the heat inside her panties is insane.

"Touch yourself," I encourage her, folding her hand around herself so its cupping her before moving mine back up until it lays on her belly once more.

"But I... I need..." She frowns slightly, the words she wants to say seemingly lost

I peck her lips once, silencing her. "What do you need? Tell me."

Her cheeks turn a little redder, her tongue sliding over her lower lip again. "I'm not sure. More," she eventually sighs.

While she is not sure, I know exactly what she means, and therefore I nod my head before kissing her again. When I feel her relax against me once more, I trail my mouth down her chin, her head falling back as she moans, giving me the space I need to trail my tongue over the heated, creamy skin of her neck.