The Amity Affliction (Ahren Stringer) *COMPLETED*

Chapter Sixteen

AHREN

Why was I so nervous about this date with Nina? I couldn't pull any of my old tricks on Nina because one she was special, and two she was the mother of my kids. Also, the rest of the band may or may not have threatened me if I hurt her again, so I needed to play this date smoothly. Treat it like a first date, except the two of us, had reached all the bases and beyond.

Pulling up outside Nina's place, I beep the horn and watch as she walks out of her place looking stunning. She'd convinced Dan to babysit so we had the whole night ahead of us.

'Hey, Ahren,' She slides into the passenger seat and smiles at me, and I can't help but smile back at her.

'You look gorgeous tonight. Am I going to be swatting other guys off you?' I joke.

She giggles, 'nope; you're the only guy I have my eye on tonight.'

~Skip Car Ride~

'I hope you don't mind, I couldn't think of the perfect date, and then I saw that a carnival was in town and remembered you saying once that you loved them as a kid.'

We pull up outside a large travelling carnival, and Nina's eyes widen, 'oh my god Ahren this is perfect.'

Getting out of the car, I walk over to her side and help her out like a gentleman; I was going to pull off so many clichés tonight. She takes my hand in hers and starts to pull me towards the entrance impatiently, it was amusing to watch her try and fail to drag my big ass body.

'Come on, Ahren; I want to go on all the rides. Hurry up,' She whines, not annoying but playful.

I pay for our wristbands and let Nina drag me wherever she wanted once we were inside.

'Which ride do you want to go on first Nina?'

Her eyes glisten with childlike innocence and awe as her head darts in different directions taking in every sight, smell and sound, 'I want to go on the Waltzers, and I want to go fast.'

We make our way over, and the queue was small so we didn't have to wait long until we were led to our car. As the metal safety bar comes down Nina cuddles closer to me and I casually wrap an arm around her shoulder.

'Are you sure you can handle this?' I joke, earning me a glare and a punch in the shoulder from Nina.

She snorts, 'I can handle anything, Mr Stringer.'

I wiggle my eyebrows and lean down to whisper in her ear, 'oh I know you can handle things, Nina. You handled me pretty fine if I remember correctly.'

Her cheeks redden, and she buries her face into the crook of my neck as the ride starts up and the music blares all around us, 'You're one of a kind Ahren.'

She lifts her head and I peck her on the lips before a man comes over and spins our car around.

After five minutes of spinning and the occasional scream from Nina, the ride comes to a stop, and I help her out. We stroll hand in hand away from the ride wondering what we were going to do next.

'Can you win me something big Ahren?'

We come to a stop by those stalls where you throw things and have to get a certain amount of points to win a giant stuffed bear.

'I've already got something big if you want to attempt to win a prize later, Nina.'

She pushes my shoulder before pointing towards some basketball hoops, 'win me something, and I might just reward you later.'

Oh, I was ready for the challenge, especially if it meant I was going to get laid later. I pay the guy, and he hands me five basketballs telling me I have to get all five to win a big prize. Being a pro, I get in all five balls without so much as breaking a sweat and Nina jumps up and down next to me squealing loudly.

'Which one would you like lovely lady?' I ask, pointing at the wide variety of stuffed animals.

'The wolf please.'

The guy hands Ahren the large stuffed wolf plushie, and she throws her arms around me, smashing her lips down on mine. If all it took was some stuffed plushie, I would have gotten her one ages ago.

'Thank you, Ahren. I love him very much.'

I raise an eyebrow and gasp, 'more than me?'

She glances between the wolf and me before nodding, 'of course.'

If I was a one of a kind guy, then she was a one of a kind girl.

~Time Skip~

After grabbing some overpriced and tasteless carnival food, we go on a few more rides and play a few more games. Only a couple of people recognised me and asked for pictures and something signed, and luckily Nina was humble and offered to take the pictures for me saying she loved how passionate I was when it came to the fans.

'This night has been perfect Ahren. Can I be honest with you about something?'

We were queuing to go on the ferris wheel before calling tonight quits. Nina's question was very out of the blue.

'Am I going to like what you ask me?'

She sighs, 'Before you picked me up I was nervous, I couldn't picture what you had in store and I came close to cancelling because a voice in the back of my head was telling me not to trust you.'

I motion for her to continue, all the while taking in this new information.

'But then you went and did this and made me feel like a kid again and all that doubt faded. You've been nothing but a great dad, and I can see you're trying to turn a new leaf and I do want you not just to be a part of the kids lives but also mine permanently.'

The two of us get into the small cart as I try to wrap my head around what Nina was talking about.

'What do you mean Nina?'

She blushes and turns her face from me, 'no, it's stupid.'

The ride starts and for the next fifteen minutes or so we were going to be trapped with a large wolf plushie in between us, so there was no escaping whatever she wanted to say to me.

'You can tell me, Nina, it will stay between the wolf and us,' I say, pushing for an answer. What can I say I was curious.

She laughs and turns to face me, biting her lip. I don't think I'd ever seen her this nervous and worked up over something, she always just seemed so calm and collected.

'I know you have your place as do I, but do you think maybe in the future you'd like to move in together and be a proper family? So I don't have to shuttle the kids between two homes as they get older.'

'I would love to live with you, get to wake up every morning to your beautiful face and witness all the kids milestones.'

Cupping her chin, I lean in and brush my lips softly against hers. She jolts slightly, before her arms snake around my neck and she parts her lips, giving me full control of the kiss. This was not where I expected the night to go, but now this topped every other date I'd ever been on.