Prison the Price!

Warmness! Swept right into me when I held Nathaniel's hand in mine. It was something I was missing since the second Serena declared her decision to step out of my life and my home. After spending several minutes with him, I couldn't make myself strong enough to leave him, unguarded. Let's just accept it that after being dependent on someone for keeping me calm I no longer can accept this sudden loneliness. And I knew I can't abandon Nathaniel. He doesn't have a shelter to live in this cruel world. Maybe, now I can save someone's life like Serena saved mine. ‘But then if she saved me from my demons of solitude, then why did she think pushing me back into those doors again was sensible? Why?’

‘Why?’ One word that held so many answers. Only, if she’ll even consider me worthy enough to explain her actions. I guess I was a material to get discarded without even being used. ‘Isn’t it weird the outside world thinks that only girls get messed up in relationships but here, look at me, I’ve become a double mess.’

"Fishhh!" Nathaniel's squeal gained my attention. Pulling out of my hand, he ran towards the small aquarium, kept in the vestibule of the building in which I lived. The shell of my thoughts was so robust that I had ambled three blocks with this stinging feeling. Maybe, that's how every man feels on losing something they’ve cherished most. 

"Yeah! Fishyy. Come, come!" I grinned, taking slow steps towards that little bundle of joy who was lost in his bubble. He ran his fingers on the aquarium as the fishes inside were swimming in between the castles. In my opinion, it was a heart-wrenching moment when this homeless kid attained happiness with a small thing while adults like me can’t be happy even with all the wealth. 

‘It’s a fact that those who haven’t got the luxuries of life will rejoice the smallest of things.’ 

I still can see how overwhelmed he was since the moment I offered him to come along with me. With the way his small face lit up like he got the Christmas gift. It was an evidence that how many struggles he endured in his life on the streets and now, when he was given the chance to get home, he wanted to grab it.

"You like this?" I inquired sitting down on my knees beside his body. He turned towards my side, nodding enthusiastically. I suggested, "We will take this inside tomorrow. Then you can play with it, all day. How does that sound?"

"Very good!" He replied and then to my utter surprise, he kissed my cheek lightly.

Once again that feeling of love seeped inside my life with his one gesture and I couldn't stop it from progressing further. I vowed to never let that one word catch me again. But in a matter of hours, I found myself getting trapped into it. It's confusing. It's intense. Yet, I can't push it away from me. But the most surprising part of all this was that I didn't feel like pushing this kid away. Instead, I felt like I have to protect him from being exploited. I felt as if I owed him something. There, was a sudden pull in my heart for this child which forced me to act protective towards him.

‘With some, we live our entire lives though we fail to create a pure bond. With others, a second is enough to create that everlasting bond!’

Scooping Nathaniel in my arms, I made my way towards the ground floor of the building. Nathaniel jumped in my arms. His small soft arms wounded around my neck gave me some ticklish feeling in my nape and I couldn't help but remember her. Whenever she was near me, her touch made me feel ticklish. The irony wasn't lost that she was indeed a baby, whom I adored to no lengths and for whom I even crossed the boundaries. Still, I’m at a loss. 

"Nathan, from today onwards this is your home." I announced, stepping inside the luxurious apartment. His eyes went wide in amazement as he took in every inch of the place.

I let him down as he wandered around, making him feel home. The place wasn't huge, but it wasn't even small. It was spacious enough for anyone to enjoy themselves and not feel suffocated. The interior was done in simple since I wasn't a fan of shimmer and shine. I loved the simplicity and thus, I made sure that my home presented my personality.

"Do you like the place?" I inquired fetching a glass of water for him. Turning around he gave me a big beaming look, straight from his heart. I can sense the gratitude in his eyes from the tears that were almost threatening to spill, but he surprised me right there when instead of showing me his emotions, he concealed them. Another similarity this child and I have. One: We both are orphans. Two: We both knew how to cover our emotions up.

"You called me Nathan?" He suddenly interrogated me with a frown on his forehead.

"Am…I think Nathaniel is too big, so in short it's Nathan. I won't call you that, If you don't like it.” I explained the reasoning. I can’t upset him on our first day together.

“I love it. But what should I call you?” He tapped on his chin, thinking like a businessman.

I lowered myself to his level and those blue eyes managed to heal a tiny part in me with their innocence, and I asked, “Can you call me, Dad?” My voice came out as a mere whisper and I was shocked that it held such a strong plea. I was trying to find myself, one family, through him. A family I dreamt with her, but it was all gone. Deep down, scorched, and entombed. Now, remains only a vision.  

He stared at me for a while then called softly as if weighing the words. "Dad!"

I embraced him, pulling down my guards since I found myself alone in this dominant world again. 

"Dad are you crying?" He asked, breaking the hug. His maturity stunned me. ‘How easily he accepted me and how smoothly, he caught me but that's how kids are now, aren't they? Way too fast for any adult to understand!’

"No little man, I am just so happy. I am not crying. So, will you like to eat some Mac and Cheese?" I immediately replied not wanting him to dwell on my turmoil but avoiding my words, he wiped my tears. Then to my utter shock, he kissed my forehead, leaving me enthralled by his cute gestures. 

"When I was on street, I saw a kid crying then a big man kissed his forehead after wiping his tears,” he explained. Perhaps, he thought that I might scold him, but little did he know that this peck meant so much more than words could ever describe because it straight away connected to Serena…

Whenever her juicy lips touched my skin, my entire body used to get on fire. The way she used to kiss away my frowns and taste my pouts, the song she used to sing to me on our date nights, and the way she licked my fingers when we shared her favourite dessert, cheesecake.  

And our first kiss…

Flashback

Never for once in my life, I had thought that I’ll spend an entire night with a frustrating female in a prison. But now looking around that disgusting smelling place I realized, the thing was happening for real. And to say that I was beyond furious would be an understatement because I was seething in a rage since those cops threw us in that prison.

It was a small local prison situated on the street for nuisance like we caused tonight by creating a scene in the public place. Thus, due to the minimum amount of cells, they trapped us in one cell for a night. How ridiculous!

Pacing around, I kept on glaring at the spoilt brat of a woman who was simply avoided me as if she had a Guinness World Book record of attending prison at nights.

"Honestly, if you were not a woman I would have murdered you by now!" I snapped, throwing my tired body with an exhausted sigh on the bench, next to her already relaxed posture. ‘How can anyone be so comfortable here?’

In my direction, she rotated her head and I got the opportunity to look into those eyes again. ‘Damn! Her beautiful eyes. I wasn’t telling her that ever. Can’t press the ego switch of a hungry bull.’ 

"Oh, Hello Mr., What do you think I am? A damsel in distress who will beg you to leave me then get over yourself dude, I can very well kill you right now but you know what, I don't want to murder a D graded body?” She spoke with an attitude showing me her index finger.

I felt an urge to laugh at her warnings as I can see the fact that she was calculating her words in her head. Maybe trying to weigh their gravity!

"And how do you know my body is D graded?" I inquired with an amused expression. Her eyes went wide as I began undoing the zipper of my hoodie to show her the body which she thinks is D graded. Never for once in my life, anyone has insulted my physique, and there, came this bothersome woman who openly humiliated my workout capabilities! How dare she?

"What the hell are you doing?" Standing up, she lashed at me; loud enough for the residents of the opposite prisons to hear. I raised a brow at her, removing my hoodie and pulled over my T-shirt, out of my head. I stood in front of her in my complete male glory. 

After that unfortunate day it’s the first time I reacted so smugly. I hadn’t glanced at any girl forget about bothering of their opinions on my looks. With her, I despised her arrogance. 

I wanted her to know that I was far better than what she might get. The thing that bothered me was, why did I care about what she thought of me? Her eyes became wide to as the size of a Panda, but I saw her gaze roaming over my chest to my abs.

"Enjoying the view are we?" I teased taking a step closer to her. 

She swallowed a lump down her throat, gaining back her confident composure, she screeched, "Asshole, get away from me. Because with this state, the cops might think that you are trying to take advantage of me, so now do you want to spend your rest of months here?" 

"Aren't you way too arrogant for your own little self?" I put on my T-shirt back and she heaved a sigh of relief as if she were holding her breath.

‘So, I did affect her in a way!’ 

"As if you aren't one now, aren't you?" She questioned, with attitude laced in her tone. I can see, she was always up for a challenge. Something I found amusing yet interesting. And then there was another fact that unlike other females, she was headstrong to not throw herself at me.

Thank heavens because I hated that kind of attention now. Shaking my head, I laid down on the bench because I can't really stand all night fighting with her. She gives me a headache.

"What the? Do you think yourself to be Joseph Morgan to occupy the whole damn bench?" She cried. It was fake but still I felt someone blasted a bomb in my ears. Damn her shrilling voice!

Sitting up straight, I looked right in her hypnotizing eyes, but ignoring the pull, I retorted sarcastically, "And why will Joseph leave his place for you? I don't think he is divorcing Persia White yet so forget that you have a chance!"

If looks could be the reason for assassination, I’m sure she would have slashed my throat and buried it thousand feet under the ground with those sexy eyes. ‘Did I just call her sexy?’ With this rate, I’m sure to lose my control. Of course, for keeping my mouth in check. 

"You!" And before I can understand the reason behind her screeching, she jumped right at me, punching on my jaw and chest.

‘What the heck?’ She was on my bloody lap. Like seriously! Can this day be any more adventurous Than this?

"God, you crazy woman get off me!"

"Damn help me someone!" I yelled trying to dodge her attacks at me, but I was afraid that if I pushed her away, she might fall on the ground and hurt her pretty self.

"Guards take this lunatic out before she murders me!" I yelled in full form holding her wrist with my both hands.

And that is when we realized our tantalizing proximity. I can feel her body against mine while her heavy breathings blew against my lips.

We were staring in the other's eyes forgetting about our anger issues, circulating us a few seconds ago. I still held her slim wrists in my stronghold while she tried to get rid of me, but I wasn't making it any easier for her. She bruised my jaw, and I was sure, it was turning blue by now because I felt her ring hurting me which she punched me through her fists. The woman was sure hormonal and crazy in a good way, but she was hell strong otherwise who punches a stranger like that.

"Stay still or else I'll push you on the ground!"

But before she can reply, we heard a roar from the opposite side of the prison.

"You Romeo and his Juliet, do you people want to get killed in the middle of night? Trust me, I will be too pleased to do that to those who ruin my sleep by shouting their lungs out!"

She turned her head around to see a man standing inside one of the cells holding a knife. I controlled my laughter because the look that came across her face after taking a good look at the huge black man, was simply hilarious.

Getting off my lap, once I loosened my hold on her wrist, she stood up on her feet giving apologetic looks to the man who was passing her an evil look, which stated that: Do not mess with me because I say what I am capable of doing! I stood up beside her and scared she scooted closer to me almost touching my arm.

"Why have they.. allowed him... to keep a knife?" She stammered. It’s a surprise. 

"Scared are you?" I couldn't help but mock her finally enjoying this scared face of hers.

In reply she stomped her foot on mine, making me wince, and then pushing me away, she sat down, frustrated. Assured, that the opposite party was no longer looking at us, I joined her.  

"So, you are scared of something. What a good hour it is!" I annoyed. 

 "Oh, so like most looser males you were trying to find my weakness!" She argued.

And there we go back to square one! 

"But tell me why they would allow him to keep a knife?"

"Are we making normal conversation here?" I can't help but ask since her tone seemed curious.

"Well, I don't think I want to die from a dirty knife that too in front of an asshole like you, so a conversation won't be bad now. Will it?" There was a twinkle in her eyes which I found intimidating because it showed the extent of her sarcasm with the way she blinked her eyes.

"You really are something, aren't you?"

"So, you got that Serena Waldorf is a girl of her own world!" She boasted not realizing that she just told me her name.

"Serena!" I whispered her name softly, and some sense of belonging came over me. It felt so right to take her name as if only I have the right to say it.

"Well Serena I guess he might have hidden the knife somewhere or someone here might have given him because we never know with prisoners now, do we? And now when we are doing names, so it's Daniel Price for you!" I answered her previous question as well as introduced myself to her.

She gave me an amusing smile as if she’s pleased with my answer. Then, she whooped, "Omg! Holy Jesus. You are Daniel Price!"

"The Daniel Price. The one and the popular owner of the Price Inns!" She bounced on her place and kept on hooting as if she got a lottery ticket. I looked at her puzzled. ‘So, what if I was the owner, it wasn't like I am a blessed Unicorn.’

I stood up in my place. Serena continued her childish squeals until she stopped, cupped my face in her hands and slammed her pink moreish lips against mine. ‘Please, tell me it’s a daydream. Didn’t she hated me just ten seconds ago and after knowing I am rich, she’s kissing me. Typical money minded girl.’ I judged yet right then my subconscious snapped out and I pondered if it were a dream sequence of a romantic movie I haven't seen. 

Was it? Even if it were, what was I supposed to do. I have heard being attacked is dangerous, but a mouth attack under such disasterous circumstances is beyond any definition. What shoud a freaked out man do at this time?