Whoever said counting sheep helped you fall asleep was lying.

Or they didn't have a mind boggling nanny they lived with that was filling up their mind.

Or maybe they didn't hear the quiet noises coming from their kitchen at 3 am.

Either way, I was blaming the sheep's ineffectiveness for me being out of bed before the sun to see what was going on in my kitchen.

I knew it was Aria, I had heard her bedroom door open about ten minutes ago so either Jamie had learned to climb out of his crib, walk, and open the door in the last hour since I had seen him or his mummy was having a tough time going to sleep.

It wasn't the first time I had heard her rustling around at night either. This had been going on the last few nights.

What I wanted to know was why?

Even as I stood, sleepily, leaning against the doorway leading to the kitchen with squinted eyes, I asked myself that question. My hand unconsciously rubbing my bare stomach as I silently watched her flit from one corner to the other searching through the cabinets like she was looking for something with only the light coming from the refrigerator as any form of illumination.
I had to admit she made a rather adorable image in her ridiculously large shirt that completely covered the tiny shorts I could only see when she reached up and knee high tube socks. Her normally neat straight hair was up in a severely messy bun on the very top of her head but it suited her. She was actually very, very... sexy.

Stop it Harry.

Shaking those thoughts out of my half asleep mind I decided to make my presence know as I cleared my thought and rubbed my eyes before switching the lights on.

It was almost comical, the look on Aria's face, when she spun around hands barley peeking out of the long sleeves and clutched to her chest with eyes squinted at the new brightness engulfing the room. She had literally flown around to face me and it took everything in me not to laugh at her clearly startled self.

"What are you doing?" I asked, biting the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing at her ridiculously wide eyes.

"I..um... I..." She bit her lip and scratched the top of her head adorable before furrowing her eyebrows. "Did I wake you?"

A yawn escaped my mouth as I pushed off the wall and walked towards the center island that separated us before leaning on my elbows so I was practically bent over and looking at her before shrugging. "Not at all. I'm always up at this time just hanging around."

"I am so sorry." She apologized quickly catching on to my slight sarcasm.

I don't know if it was our little bonding thing that happened the other day when the boys and I set up Jamie's room or what but Aria had been a lot nicer to me. I liked it, probably more then I should.

The oddest thing happened then, she actually looked shy. It was so out of character for her. I don't think I had ever seen her act this way around me... or anyone really, well maybe Zayn but he had that effect on women. I normally did too but never with Aria, until now.

It was so odd, in fact, that it actually woke me up a bit. I stood straighter as she looked down at her hands that were picking at the too-long sleeves while she stepped one foot over the other.
She looked like a little girl that was upset.

"Aria, is everything okay?" I asked before I could stop myself. There was a strong possibility I was reading her wrong and I would get some sort of snide retort for asking.

But I didn't.

Instead I got her looking up at me through her lashed as she, once again, bit her lip. I would never admit how undeniable sexy that was either.

"I, um, I had a nightmare or really... I've been having nightmares." She sighed and the vulnerable look on her face made me want to walk around the island and hold her to me tightly. I had never been happier for and resentful of that island all at once like I was now.

I was becoming comfortable with these confusing feelings I was starting to grow for this insanely irritating, insanely beautiful woman. Ever since the night she slapped me.

I wasn't a hundred percent sure I liked them yet, more like sixty percent. The other stubborn forty percent was scared to open up to someone again, to feel anything for someone again, especially when there was more than just myself to consider now.

But looking at her, looking so pretty and natural and exposed, not only physically but emotionally, I couldn't help the balance tipping a little more towards her. Maybe another ten percent in favor.

I shook my head to clear my thoughts when I realized she was looking at me in horror, probably thinking I was going to belittle her for her honest confession.

"Do you... want to talk about it?" I asked hoping I looked at sincere as I felt.

Again her eyes dropped to her hands. "It's so silly."

"If it's not letting you sleep it's not that silly." I tried to assure her, make her feel less ashamed.

She kept her eyes down but I could see her brow furrow and her lips press together tightly before she spoke. "It's just... I haven't ever... not had Jamie next to me and now he's got that beautiful room you set up for him," She looked up at me with a slight smile before returning to her downward glancing. "and he is doing so well sleeping on his own but I'm... not."

She fell back slightly to lean on the counter behind her before looking up at me. "I keep having these terrible dreams that he disappears, that someone takes him because I don't have him right there, because I couldn't keep him safe, and it's stupid because I know he's safe but I get up and check every time. No matter how many times I do thought, the dreams keep coming back but I don't want to move him. It's the worst feeling though, like I am absolutely helpless but at the same time I know I'm to blame because I put him in the situation to be taken in the first place."

It broke my heart to hear her confess her fears. It said a lot that a dream like that could be so disturbing that she couldn't sleep for multiple nights. Again the urge to hold her struck me but this time I actually acted on it, at the risk of being kicked in the balls once more.

She didn't even flinch as I reached my hand out to place on her shoulder, testing the waters a bit, apparently she needed a hug. When I was sure she wasn't going to swing at me I placed my other hand on her other shoulder and pulled her in, letting he cheek rest against my naked chest while mine rested on the top of her head.

It was the first time I had hugged her, the first time I had been this close to her sober.

Seventy percent of my mind pointed out how well we fit together, how intoxicating her scent was, how soft her hair felt against my cheek, how nice her warmth against me was but the other thirty percent screamed that she was off limits. Aside from the fact that she worked for me, she also had something going on with my mate and as tempting as it was I couldn't do that to Niall.

So with one finally squeeze I forced myself to let go of her and pull back to lean on the counter beside her.

It was silent for a few seconds before I heard her breathy laughter quietly escaping her lips.
I smirked and looked down at her as she looked up. "What?"

"That was a little weird. Nice, but weird none the less."

I chuckled with her because she was right, it was weird and nice and I wanted to do it again but a certain blonde Irish boy was keeping me from doing so like he was standing between us right now because in all honesty I did like that hug way too much and I feared that with my lack of sleep and Aria's new found friendliness towards me I wouldn't be able to keep myself from trying to kiss her slightly swollen lips that she kept temptingly biting.

Pull yourself together Harry, its Aria. I tried to snap myself out of it but the problem was that it was Aria.

As much as I tried to resist it, I couldn't help finally admitting to the fact that I was attracted to my daughter's nanny. And she only just started to tolerate me as a friend. It was a sad thought, but it was a fact.

"So... what exactly were you doing down here anyway? What were you looking for?" I asked trying to think of anything other than the part of her bare leg that would brush against mine every time she would shift in her spot slightly.

"Oh, um... nutella." She answered looking up at the cabinet behind her. "I could have sworn I saw some in there the other day."

I glanced up at the same cabinet before reaching up, my height allowing me to reach much further into the top shelve then she could even see. A moment later I was casually juggling the jar of nutella in my hand and looking at her out of the corner of my eye.

She looked from it to me with a dropped jaw. "You hid it from me." She accused with narrowed eyes.

I laughed at her accusation as I turned to my side to face her. "Actually I hid it from Louis, but I have noticed my supply lessening since you've moved in."

Her cheeks redden even as she tried to hide her smile. "Yea well I needed some kind of perk to having to deal with you."

I knew she was joking by the ever spreading smirk on her face so I decided to play along by gasping and holding a hand to my chest. "Am I not enough?"

The sound of her snorted laughter made me feel light; I hadn't really had the privilege of making her laugh quite this much before.

"So what were you planning on doing with my nutella anyway?" I said opening the jar and scooping some of it on my finger before licking it off.

There was a moment of silence that had me turning my eyes from the jar in hand to the small woman beside me. Her eyes were glued to my finger that was still placed between my lips with her own lips parted ever so slightly. I wasn't sure if it was me or the nutella that had her reacting that way but I was just going to go with me, for the benefit of my own ego. A smirk spread across my lips as I slowly slid my pointer finger out of my mouth and slowly licked my lips.

The barely audible sigh that left her had my self-esteem soaring. So I at least had some effect on her. That was a good thing.

Niall, Harry.

Right. Mind off that train of thought.

"Are you going to answer me or stare at me?"

Aria squeezed her eyes shut and pursed her lips making the most adorable squished face before opening her eyes and looking straight ahead. "I was going to make nutella hot chocolate."

I raised my eyebrows. That sounded delicious. "Oh, and how do you make that?"

"You're full of questions tonight." She bit back, snapping her head around to face me. The fact that she was being short with me now let me know that I had an effect on her and I was loving it.

I choose not to answer her and simply shrugged to which she huffed before snatching the jar from my hands and wandering closer to the stove. She rummaged around until she found a small sauce pan and then went in search of a whisk. When she had both she pointed towards the refrigerator.

"Milk please."

I complied, handing her the desired item before leaning back onto the counter once more and watching her work. She poured the milk into the pan and added a few generous spoonfuls of nutella before whisking the mixture at a medium temperature.

She never once looked back at me as she made her hot chocolate and I was slightly surprised when about ten minutes later she was pouring the steaming chocolaty drink into two mugs and handing me one.

I didn't think she would make me some, this had to be progress.

It smelled wonderful. Aria watched me as I looked from it to her.

"So try it, tell me what you think."

I kept my eyes on her as I raised the mug to my lips, never looking away as the smooth hot liquid slid down my throat warming me in the most wonderful way. I licked my lips before speaking, more for the benefit of her reaction than anything else.

"That is..." She looked at me with the most anxious anticipation in her eyes. She was seeking my approval. It was such a small thing but I wanted to give it to her. "Wonderful."

Her smile could have lit up the room and I had never been prouder of making someone smile as I was in that moment. She did a little bounce on her toes and hid her smile behind her mug.

I watched her as she enjoyed the little pleasure of her drink, she looked so happy. Truly beautiful and I wanted to see her like this more often. I already was finding myself never wanting to go back to what we had been before; I didn't think I would ever be okay not being like this with her.

We had taken a turn in the last few days and I didn't want to go back, only ahead. And once again I felt another ten percent sway over to her side.

Eighty to twenty now.

This was not looking good for my logical side and as I watched her look up at me I was sure that it was going to well and truly lose by the time the sun came up.

Notes

hello kiddies... so let me know what you think okay? enjoy