"How's work, dad?" I asked as I folded my finally clean laundry and tossed it into my dresser.

He sighed loudly. I could imagine his hand running down his face as he did so, "It's going. I miss you though and your aunts are driving me up the wall. Have you talked to your boss about taking a couple days off to come and see us?"

I laughed awkwardly. My dad didn't know anything about Lucas and I was nervous about telling him I was now dating - or were we casually hanging out? I wasn't exactly sure - my employer who also fought professionally for a living and had tattoos running across his muscular abs and down his glorious arms. "I'll ask about it today," I conceded. "But there better be eggnog when I get there."

"As long as you promise to get Greta and Betty off my back for at least three hours."

"Deal," I laughed.

I changed quickly and ran out of my apartment to see Daniel. I made my way up the elevator, shrugging my jacket off before knocking on the door. The door quickly opened to Lucas's bright face.

"Hey," he drawled, smiling at me as he held the door open with one hand, leaning into it slightly. I could see the muscles in his arm struggling to break free from the hem of his white t-shirt. Avert your gaze.

I cleared my throat, "Hey." I raised an eyebrow at him, "Where's Daniel?" He had ears everywhere and nothing got past him.

Lucas grinned, "He's currently on the phone, occupied by Rebecca." He reached a hand out to tug on my fingers inching me closer to his body, his arm wrapping around my waist gently. "How was your ride over?"

I laughed at the worry laced in his voice, "It was fine, but I did actually have something to ask you."

"Okay," he nodded, waiting for me to continue.

"I wanted to go visit my dad for a couple days on Christmas. Is that okay? I know you have a fight on Christmas Eve, but he's been asking and-"

"-Emily," he interrupted, "it's fine. I'll get Kyle to look out for Daniel when I can't be around."

"Thank you!" I gushed and wrapped my arms around him tentatively. His arms tightened around my waist and I could hear his steady heartbeat, which was strangely reassuring. "You know you're not bad at relationships for someone who doesn't have much experience with them." I teased.

Lucas laughed, "Thank you."

"So about holding off on telling people," Lucas trailed. I glanced up at his mesmerizing blue eyes. "How long exactly do we have to do that?"

I shrugged wriggling free from his arms in the process before Daniel caught a glimpse. I could tell that my attempts to break free made no difference to him and that if he wanted, he could hold me in place forever. I had to shake off the sliver of excitement that sent down my spine.

"I'm not sure." I replied honestly. I did desperately want to scream it from the rooftops, but a small part of me was still scared to jump into commitment again. I knew so little about Lucas's past. Had he ever cheated? Had he ever deceived someone close to him? "But regardless, when I'm here, I'm working."

Lucas wore a slight frown on his face and I could tell this conversation was far from over.

"Are you guys talking about me?" Daniel's loud voice made me jump in my spot.

Lucas, unsurprisingly kept his cool, rolling his eyes at his brother, "Not everything's about you."

"Except this," I interrupted nervously, "This was about you. Sorry."

He shot me a suspicious look before wheeling back to the living room. I walked in, trying to avoid Lucas's towering figure entirely. It was difficult to avoid a mammoth.

"What's on the agenda today?" I asked Daniel, taking a seat on the couch. Lucas stood in the kitchen with his arms crossed, looking particularly unhappy.

Daniel pulled out his agenda. A part of the exercises I'd been doing with him was keeping him accountable for his appointments. At the end of every week, he'd have to sit and plan out his time. It was just one more step to becoming more independent for him.

"Actually," he grinned at me closing my agenda, "today, you get the pleasure of shopping with me after our physical therapy."

"Shopping?" I raised an eyebrow curiously.

"I have to get a one month anniversary gift for Rebecca and who better to help me but the very muse of our relationship? The person who watered our love like a flower water-er. The person who encouraged our affection like a zoo keeper encouraging endangered specifies to mate."

"I get it," I stated drily. "You have a strange way of making me sound like a creep."

"Well, if the glove fits," he trailed.

I laughed throwing a crumpled piece of paper at him, "is that anyway to thank your muse?"

I glanced at Lucas who was typing away on his phone, "What are you up to today?"

Lucas's gaze shot up to look at me and he smiled mischievously, "I have to go to the gym to train and then I was thinking of asking this girl I've had my eye on out." Lucas walked behind Daniel and winked at me causing me to flush and butterflies to flutter all over my body. He grabbed a coat that hung on a hook and shrugged into it.

Daniel whistled, "Ooh la la, Lucas is getting it on."

Lucas reached out and slapped his brother at the back of his head gently. "See you later, Danny. Bye, Emily."

We heard the door close and Daniel looked at me slyly, "How much you want to bet it's his PR agent?"

Of course Daniel would say something that ruined my butterflies. The little punk.