I shrug my shoulders apologetically. 

Misha rolls his eyes, but his face softens when he looks back down at JJ.

Carefully, I help him ease the sleeping beauty onto her bed, and watch her pretty lashes flutter dreamily. Still, she doesn't wake as I pull the covers snugly around her shoulders.

After making sure JJ is settled in, I place the steaming mug of tea on the nightstand and slip quietly out the door.

"Sorry about that," I mumble wistfully as we head out into the hallway.

"Sorry about what," Misha smirks. "Wanting to unleash an unholy beatdown on your visitor, forgetting FooFoo, or-"

"I was going to apologize for burdening you with looking after JJ," I scowl, scratching the back of my neck. "But, yeah, sorry for all that other stuff too."

"You should know by now that I don't mind," Misha replies sincerely. "I love her."

Something about that statement sends tingles of affection shooting through my core for this man who doesn't have to love my daughter, doesn't have to care for her like his own, or cook and clean for my family. Yet, he does. I can't imagine how hard it must be for him to be here, to be in the same home as Dani and I day in and day out, when he could so easily give into bitter resentment.

"And I love you," I murmur softly, reaching out to tilt his chin up with my index finger. I lean in closer, until his face consumes my field of view.

My theory is confirmed; Misha's smile is, indeed, the essence of human life.

Slowly, almost hesitantly, I bridge the gap between us, lids falling to half-mast as I fix my eyes on my target. I inhale sharply when my lips land on his soft, familiar pair. Then they're moving, sliding against his in a slow, gentle kiss. It's affectionate, but not lust-addled: careful, not controlling.

Deep down, I'm terrified because I know that I've fallen painfully hard for this beguiling man. He melts all my resolution; I have no means of protecting myself from being swept off my feet.

"That was surprisingly sweet," Misha muses when I pull away, my hand lingering on his arm under his cotton shirt. "Have you finally starting thinking past your dick?"

"Has hell become Antarctica," I challenge flatly.

Mish sighs, his hand coming up to stroke his temple, and I'm unable to keep the corner of my lip from kicking up in a playful smirk.

"For a second there, I thought it had," he mutters in bemusement. "Never mind."

"But while we're on the topic of my dick..." I grin suddenly, crowding against him until his back is firmly against the wall. "Dani and the gang won't be back for another hour or so."

"Oh, no way," he chuckles as I suck on his neck. "Not now. What if JJ wakes up?"

Misha glances sidelong at the bedroom door, left ajar. "What will she say if she finds us getting it on in her parents' bedroom?"

"Not sure," I grin. "Maybe something along the lines of shit, Dad's the bottom?"

Misha groans as I suck at the skin below his jawline.

"Too...risky, Jensen. Stop."

I heave a sigh, pulling away much to my chagrin. "I'm sorry," Misha murmurs. "But nobody can know about us, remember?"

I rub the back of my neck in in grudging consent.

"Whatever." Biting my lip, I follow Misha back downstairs. "For what it's worth, I swear half the fans know already."

"They don't know anything," Misha laughs humourlessly. "Just relax...and try to be more careful."

"You should be more careful too," I mutter with childish indignation.

Misha wheels around to face me when we reach the foot of the stairs.

"Me?"

"I'm just sayin'," I shrug innocently. "You're far more open than I am in public."

"Okay," Misha closes his eyes and pinches the bridge of his nose. "Let me see if I can set your psychotic ass straight. You're the one who gave me a pink valentine covered in hearts in front of Richard and Jared and the gang. You slapped my ass in front of my interviewer. You let slip that friggin' fantastic one-liner at that one con. What was it you said about me? He sounds like that in the morning. Smart move, Jensen. Very smart."

I remember that.

Immediately after making the comment I had frozen, my mind short-circuiting until all I could think was ohshitohshitohshit. I was so incredibly flustered, I think I downed half my water bottle in one go.

"Jared was the one-"

"Oh, no you don't. Jared may have put the nails in your coffin with that how do you know comeback, but you set yourself up for that one all on your own."

"Shit," is all I can manage, blushing furiously. "You're right."

Still, I make a mental note to thump Jared properly when he gets back.

"Seriously," Misha goes on. "I don't think I've ever witnessed a crowd go so wild in my entire goddamn life. And I was there when you pulled your shirt up on stage. What were you thinking?"

"Well," I grapple, trailing behind him as he walks into the kitchen, "you...you kissed me on stage." Mish rolls his eyes, pushing his sleeves up to his elbows as he opens the fridge.

"And you said - this I quote - I love you, Misha, on fucking television. So I don't know, Jensen. I think I rest my case."

Misha mimics an exaggerated mic-drop.

Well, tou-friggin'-ché.

***

"Mr. and Mrs. Ackles. How are you doing?"

Dr. Ajith steps into the white-painted room, shutting the door softly behind him. "Any concerns?" He's a heavily-accented, middle-aged man from Delhi, and one of the finest professionals in the field.

"No, none at all," Dani gushes, squeezing my hand on the armrest between our seats. The doctor takes a seat at the computer terminal and signs in.

"No complaints, worries or questions?"

Dani shakes her head, looking beautiful in a loose, red v-neck and black, leather leggings with matching platforms.

"Alright then," Dr. Ajith murmurs, pulling up her file and fixing his gold-rimmed spectacles on his nose. "Let's get started."

The doctor checks Dani's weight, blood pressure, and urine. I hold her hand while he measures her abdomen, determines the position of the babies, and even lets us listen to their heartbeats. He talks us through our options should the pregnancy last longer than thirty-eight weeks; Dani will be induced if necessary. Things are looking good, however, at least for the time being.

Since she's in her third trimester, she's being seen more often lately; her appointments have gone from once every two weeks to weekly.

I haven't gotten to go to a lot of the prenatal checkups with her, due to work. But I went to the early ones, between twelve and twenty-four weeks, when we confirmed the double pregnancy and the sex of the babies. I also made sure to come home and be with my wife when they checked for congenital abnormalities or birth defects. And I'm here now.

At the end of the visit, the doctor reviews the findings with us, explaining the normal changes Dani can expect before her next appointment and the warning signs to watch for. His parting request is that Dani refrain from overworking herself.

"Try not to do too much around the house," he stipulates, walking us out through the door. "It's important not to overburden yourself."

Dani nods solemnly, and I can't help but roll my eyes at the irony, but feel immediately guilty for it.

I'm grateful when Dani turns to me smilingly, having failed to notice my reaction.

"I'm so excited," she whispers in my ear, squeezing my hand as we head back to the car. I hold the passenger door open for her before walking around to the driver's side. "Time to go home and celebrate."

***

The indoor pool branches off from the rest of the mansion on the ground floor, separated by a set of glass double doors. It's a balmy Malibu night, the lit-up pool glimmering blue in the moonlight flooding in from the floor-to-ceiling windows.

Jared whistles appreciatively as he follows me through, followed by Gen and Dani, who are conversing animatedly about the babies.

"Sweet setup," he marvels.

Misha has prepared dinner on coral platters by the poolside, the ceiling lights, optic cable features and remotely controlled illumination adjusted flawlessly to create a warm, cozy glow. Installing all of this was a bitch, but I think it was a worthwhile investment.

I opted for a few attractive, durable lamps and LED solutions, as well as withstanding materials like ceramic, high-gloss paint, enamel, glass and acrylic that aren't easily damaged by moisture. It's proven to be a wonderful, complimentary attachment to the architecture of the rest of our home.

"Oh, fuck yes, thank you Misha!" Jared reaches eagerly for a sparkling margarita float.

There are chip-crusted chicken skewers and spicy shrimp boats and even mini pesto pizzas, and the evening sky is a perfect sweep of blue through the massive glass ceiling overhead.

"Compliments to the chef," Gen agrees, helping herself to a drink before sitting down next to Dani at the deck table. "Where is Misha, anyway?"

"He's just giving JJ her bath," Dani fills in brightly. "He should be down in a bit."

I fidget in my seat next to Jared.

"We should wait for him-"

"He said not to bother," Dani smoothes quickly. "He doesn't know how long he'll be and - oh, let me go grab the garlic bread."

"I've got it," Gen rises quickly to her feet, urging Dani to remain seated before hurrying back to the kitchen.

She joins us a minute later with a basket of deliciously aromatic, freshly-baked breadsticks.

"So," Jared murmurs when we begin eating. "This is so much sweeter than the basement pool you originally wanted."

"Yeah, I'm glad you talked me out of that, dude."

"Basement pools are tricky," Jared murmurs, dabbing his mouth with a napkin. "I've looked into it. You need some super complex electronic communications and ventilation and shit."

"For a ground pool, all it takes to let the humidity out is opening the windows," I hum in agreement, biting into a slice of perfectly-seasoned, homemade pizza. How Misha made all of this in the space of a few hours is beyond me.

"And this way you get the massive skylights," Jared points out.

Gen and Dani are carrying out their own bubbly conversation over the clinking of glasses and scraping of cutlery against the chinaware as we chat. "And how was the appointment?"

"It went well," I smile enthusiastically. "Dani originally wanted another ultrasound-"

"Hasn't she already had all the required ones," Jared muses, wiping his figures on his napkin and taking a sip of his drink. "I think the last one is at like...thirty-something weeks? Thirty-six?"

"Exactly. It costs a shit-ton of money because it's not necessary, and our doctor doesn't do it. Who has a growth check this late in the game anyway?"

"A couple of rich parents unafraid to exploit their casanova status?" Jared smirks knowingly. "I'm surprised you didn't cave to her."

"I would've, but we'd have to go to a 3D/4D place somewhere for the procedure and...it's just plain unnecessary. I told Dani not to worry."

Absentmindedly, Jared pushes a strand of his shoulder-length hair behind his ear as he tucks into his shrimp. "I don't think she can help it, you know? Twins can be a scary prospect."

"Mhmm," I mumble around a mouthful of food.

"What week is she again?"

"Thirty-eighth," Dani chimes in, reaching across my arm for the chicken. "This was the last checkup. Unless the pregnancy goes post term."

"You're almost at the finish line," Gen smiles encouragingly.

"Yeah, I can't wait to have my body back," Dani's eyebrows rise dramatically. "And I'm not the only one, huh, babe?"

Dani turns to me and I lean over to plant a reassuring kiss on her cheek.

"You're still beautiful," I murmur affectionately. "Always will be."

"Aww," Gen and Jared croon in unison, and then Dani's gripping my chin and kissing me passionately. I melt into her touch, moving my lips against hers with practiced ease.

When she finally pulls away, my eyes lock with Misha's over Dani's shoulder and my heart does a quick backflip in my aching chest. I don't know when it started aching, only that something in his eyes makes it suddenly difficult to breathe.

"Oh, Misha," Jared grins, following my gaze. "Nice of you to finally join us. Your cooking is amazing!"

"Yes, thank you," Dani gushes. "You really are an angel."

Mish remains rooted to the spot, rubbing the back of his neck, a slight flush in his cheeks.

"It was nothing, really. I enjoyed it."

"Well, have a seat," Gen fusses, gesturing to the empty chair across from her.

"I'm actually not hungry," Misha explains, deflecting the offer apologetically. "I just came to make sure everything was okay."

"It's more than okay," I insist, flashing him a reassuring smile. "This is excellent, seriously. Thank you, Misha."

Mish gives me a tight-lipped smile, shuffling awkwardly in the doorway for a moment.

"You're welcome, Jensen."

I settle back in my seat after he leaves, the food suddenly tasteless in my mouth.

I'm supposed to be happy - and I am, I really am - but I can't shake the feeling that something's off.

As yet, I'm a fool if I though this would turn out pretty. I'm a fool if I didn't know all along that Misha and I could never be together. Did I think that my love for him could waive my responsibilities to my family or erase my relationship with Dani? Surely I'm not that naive.

Something settles like a stone in the pit of my stomach as I study Dani chatting animatedly with the others.

Misha and I both knew this was bound to happen. Inevitably, we will drift further and further apart as our separate families take over our lives and we grow old with the partners we are legally bound to.

I started this race with Dani and I'm crossing the finish line with her. Kids, a house, everything along the way...we're in this together.

And once upon a time, that was all I wanted.