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Dating a single dad, in the media, seemed to be the dream. It was the plot of one hundred hallmark movies, the story of one hundred beaming faces on the websites giving advice about how to talk to children without them getting violently angry at you trying to replace their dead mother.
In short, it had all appeared so much more simple in theory. Sure there had been the awkward moment of "by the way I have a half grown flesh sack at home" but Nico had sisters and neices and nephews. He was sure it wouldn't be a problem and this guy really was straight out of a hallmark movie. Besides, he was in his mid thirties and had just gotten out of a five year relationship where his ex left him for the blueprint of a Disney princess so he wasn't in a place to be picky.
It wasn't a problem at first. The problem came six months later when he was head over heels in love and walking up Will’s driveway about to meet a child who could very well end the whole relationship if they didn't like him.
Like any anxiety prone person, Nico had a list of things he knew about Will’s daughter.
1. Her name was Charlotte.
2. She was twelve years old.
3. She liked dinosaurs.
4. Her mother and Will divorced when she was seven and ever since she had been repeatedly driving away potential suitors of her father.
5. Her favourite Christmas movie was the Grinch.
Those were a solid five things. Nico had watched the Grinch three times last night just in case and spent the time he should have been sleeping reading up on types of dinosaurs.
He took a deep breath.
"You alright there, love?" a lady called over the fence. Nico glanced into Will’s neighbours garden where a round faced woman with bright ginger hair and gardening gloves was watching him.
Nico nodded. "My boyfriend lives here."
That peaked the woman's interest. "Yer Will’s lad? Meeting the dreaded daughter then?"
"Yeah, I guess."
"You'll be alright, lad," she reassured him. "My step son hated me to start with. He already had his mums and didn't need another. Took him a minute but he realised that having me around only meant more love. Good luck and tell Will that Ruby says hi."
Nico assured her he would. With Ruby watching, he couldn't run away and pretend to be too sick to come so he knocked on the door.
He looked over to see if he could nudge Will to invite Ruby in to ease the tension but she'd already gone. The door swung open.
"Hello, my angel." Will beamed, leaning in to give Nico a short and sweet kiss.
"Hi."
"I made lasagna," Will said as he ushered Nico in and shut the door behind him.
-
Nico followed Will into the living room. He'd been in Will’s house a good few times when Charlotte was at school or at her mother's. He'd even stayed over on the occasional night but he'd never been here when Charlotte was.
She looked like she did in the photos. She was slouched in a armchair with the TV blaring, scrolling on her phone. Her long, brown hair hid her face and her nails tapped on the screen furiously.
"Lottie, darling," Will said. "This is Nico."
Nico could sense Will’s anxiety. It was subtle but he could see it. Charlotte briefly looked up. Her hair was her mother's but her eyes were recognisably Will’s. It was odd to see such familiar eyes narrowed with contempt.
"He looks gay," she remarked bluntly.
Nico snorted. "I am gay."
She rolled her eyes and looked back to her screen. Will awkwardly patted Nico’s shoulder.
"Right. Anyone up for lasagna?"
Charlotte looked like she'd rather walk through hell but she stood up and followed them through to the kitchen.
Nico sat down further away from Charlotte, trying to give her space.
"I still can't believe you made lasagna," Nico said lightly.
"Is that a hidden insult I hear?" Will teased. Nico shrugged.
"It's you and cooking, tesoro."
"I'll have you know that I'm a great cook."
"Oh, really?"
Charlotte set her knife and fork down loudly.
"Well I don't see you making dinner," she all but spat, "so you can't complain."
Nico winced and the table fell silent.
"Lottie, he didn't mean it spitefully."
"How am I supposed to know?" Charlotte objected. "He's just a random man you've brought home."
"He's not a random man," Will attempted.
"He is to me! Just because you've been fucking him doesn't mean I want anything to do with this!"
"Charlotte!" Will’s voice raised ever so slightly, his tone hard and unbending. Charlotte was glaring daggers, her body tensed and her hands curled into fists. Watching, Nico felt rather helpless.
"Charlotte," Will repeated, a little softer now. "Just one dinner. Please. You don't have to like it."
"I won't," she answered resolutely. Nico didn't doubt it.
-
He went home after may apologies from Will and many death stares from Charlotte. Things carried on for a bit but Will started inviting him round whilst Charlotte was there. Apparently it was to make it seem "more normal". Nico resented having anything to do with anything normal but he loved Will and he was determined to make some sort of progress with Charlotte.
Weeks went by and all she would do was glare at him and make the odd sarcastic comment. They were left for a couple moments in a room together and she would immediately start on him.
"So, um, I was watching a documentary on dinosaurs," Nico offered. "They're actually really fascinating."
"I thought all you did was hide in your room and listen to emo bands." Charlotte sneered.
"Sometimes," Nico admitted. "Do you like dinosaurs?"
"You know what my favourite dinosaur is?" Charlotte asked. "The oviraptor. People origionally thought it stole eggs but really it protected them fiercely and to the end. And it didn't do that by letting T-Rex invade its nest."
Will came back from the bathroom and the conversation was never struck up again.
A month went by. Then two. Then three.
On the one hundredth day after Nico had first met Charlotte, Will was dropping something off at his neighbours when Nico decided to try something different. He sat on the sofa and Charlotte observed him warily as he read the newspaper.
"What're you doing?" she asked eventually with an undertone of annoyance.
"Reading," Nico said. "I like knowing stuff. It keeps me calm."
"You're a bookworm?"
"Not particularly but it wouldn't be bad if I was. I like to know things about people."
Charlotte put down her phone and stared him down with a challenging glint in her eyes.
"Bet you know all about me then," she said.
"I know bits and pieces," Nico replied carefully, folding up his paper. "You don't know much about me, do you?"
"I know you like snogging my dad."
Nico laughed. "That's true."
"I know you're an asshole."
"That's probably true too." Nico paused. "My mum died when I was young too. I ended up with a Step-mother and I hated her with a passion. I had to weed the garden for hours whenever I was rude to her. I spent my whole summer in that garden."
"Was she evil?" Charlotte asked offhandedly.
Nico shook his head. "She's lovely actually. She's more similar to your dad, I think. I just wasn't ready to accept her and we ended up fighting. I didn't like not knowing her and I didn't try to know her. Thought it was pointless. Probably would have been pointless at the time."
"Are you saying this so that I have a sudden unexplainable change of heart and fall in love with you and start calling you father?" Charlotte's voice was slathered in scepticism.
"No," Nico replied honestly. "I'm telling you so you know that you can hate me now. You can hate me for a long time. You can weed the garden all you like but when and if you're ready I'll let you back in the house and make you a cup of tea and tell you about flowers like Persephone did for me."
Charlotte hesitated. "Okay."
Nico smiled to himself as he picked the newspaper up again. It was slow progress and maybe he'd have to wait another hundred days or another hundred years but just maybe they could get to know each other.