#dolantmego

Parker had tried to ask you a question about what you were doing for the rest of the day. Which in retrospect you didn’t mind answering--even though he’d asked 3 different crew members already. Ethan shook his finger at the small boy and tisks.

“If you’re going to talk about work then I’ll be forced to talk about work. Beep boop expenditures. Bop boop beep meetings. Bop bop changes in expectations for the next quarter.” He mimes a robot walk and both of the kids break into a fit of giggles, begging for him to end the ‘torture.’ He throws a wink at you when they both turn around and start chatting amongst themselves and you grin back. Women thought men with babies were hot? Ethan is shaking you up from just these small interactions with Edith and Parker. You’ll combust if he’s ever holding a baby in your presence. You’re sure of it.

Ethan insists upon buying your lunch, despite your protests, and the four of you settle at a small round table by a window looking out on the busy streets of New York City. His interactions with the kids are heartfelt and adorable. It’s even more striking that he looks like he could be their father. The way they move around each other even looks like he’s their father and it makes you wonder how ofter the other Mr. Dolan is around. They’d been elated to talk to him on the phone earlier, but this looks more like the natural groove for the children. You have the sudden urge to reach over and comfort the man next to you, even though you’ve only known this man for what? Maybe 5 hours?

“Eadie Beanie you need to be careful, I don’t know how to get ketchup out of clothes okay? And your nana just bought you that sweater.” Ethan reaches over to wipe off the little girl’s face, smiling despite the interruption of your conversation. Not that you two had reached any interesting subject with the kids listening in. Edith squirms away from his wiping and pouts. The two have a small stare down before she huffs and takes another reluctant bite of her sandwich. Ethan laughs and ruffles Parker’s hair--who has been absorbed in the small handheld game he whipped out of his pocket as soon as you sat down.

“Ms. Y/L/N are you married?” You choke on your drink and Ethan lets out a small nervous laugh. You swear you notice Edith’s eyes sparkle a bit when he question affects you so. But she smiles a sweet smile and looks at you expectantly.

“Edith lets not ask such personal questions okay?” Ethan raises an eyebrow at the little girl and she makes another pout face.

“Why? You’re not asking the questions. You guys talk about boring stuff! Somebody has make this less blech!” Edith smirks knowingly at her uncle and tugs on Parker’s arm for attention. She seems to be a pretty observant kid for her age. Both of them are smart, you already knew that, they are homeschooled because of their rehearsal schedule. Parker has proudly announced to the cast that he’s on a 10th grade reading level. Loudly. Many times.

Edith tugs on her brother again and Parker hmms without looking up from his game, “Parker I’m sure if  you ask E-Tee to give us money he’ll let us go buy cake.” Parker’s head whips up at that and both the kids look expectantly over at Ethan, whose head is in his hands shaking back and forth. You laugh at the family’s interaction and wonder how often it’s like this. You quickly pull $5 out of your purse to hand to the kids before Ethan can stop you, he didn’t let you buy lunch so you’ll treat the kids.

A chorus of thank you’s breakout and they both hop off to the long line at the counter, no doubt to order a bunch of sugar they don’t need. You realize that you’re going to have to get them to focus later and that you REALLY didn’t think that through. Ethan looks up from his hands and dead pans at you.

“You really didn’t have to and definitely should not have done that.” You laugh at his mock broken tone and he cracks a smile at your giggle, “Guys! Dairy free!” He calls out across the restaurant, pointing at them with a mock angry face. They both fall into a fit of giggles and nod before turning back to the menu.

“I think I definitely just saw Edith point at the cheesecake.” You joke, and Ethan whips around pretending to get ready to go after the two kids. You both laugh again, before leaning forward to be comfortably closer to one another.

“So. Thanks to the kids I have learned,” Ethan counts each tid bit off on his fingers, mock seriously. “Your favorite color. What you want to be when you grow up. Your favorite Disney movie. What your middle name is. What your least favorite vegetable is. And finally the kicker that you did not get to answer.” You raise an eyebrow at the last one and pretend to think very hard.

“Oh yes? And what was that?” You grin slyly and play with the straw in your drink. Ethan wiggles his eyebrows suggestively to make you laugh again. He really was something else. Funny. Attentive. Great with the kids. Why the hell wasn’t he married? That last thought strikes you as a tad ominous. Darker thoughts threaten to board the ever moving train in your mind and you make an effort to push it out of your head for the moment. You had plenty of time to worry about that later.

“Well Eadie seems to be worried that you’re married.” You widen your eyes, pretending to be shocked, “But I’m a smart man. I can see you aren’t wearing a ring.” His eyes drift to your bare ring finger, and you nod.

“Great observation Mr. Holmes. Anything else?” You inquire with a squinted eye. This little game the two of you were playing was so refreshing. Both of you were just having fun being a little goofy together. Ethan nods and pretends to sit back and smoke from a pipe. You loved that he would be silly and mess around with you, but it wasn’t a crazy ordeal that took everyone in the restaurant’s attention. This is just a fun moment being shared between the two of you.

“Well then I can make the deduction that you aren’t married.” He shoots forward in a flash and you let out a squeak. “BUT!” His voice is loud and then gets very quiet, “I must inquire further for my next deduction.” You laugh and try to hold a serious face while nodding for him to continue. This man is really bringing out a different side of you. Doing the job that you do requires such a high level of seriousness in order for you to gain respect, that you forget to have fun a lot. Not that you are unhappy or don’t feel creative in your work, that isn't the case at all. But you do find yourself missing moments like these. Most of your interactions with your crew and cast are light hearted, but you have to hold yourself back for the sake of professionality. There is a tinge of loneliness that comes with being the director. The only person who is close to your level is LJ, and she has to hold just as much of a professional air as you do. If not more.

You justify it by coming to the conclusion that Ethan isn’t involved in this part of your life at all. Sure he is close to two of your actors, but an uncle is far less of an entanglement than an actual parent right? Though Ethan really did look like more than just an uncle. The kids are already cast, though. The show is in tech now, your role is truly almost over. Is there any harm that could be done? Again, that tiny dark feeling you can’t place washes over you. Guilt? Fear? You aren’t sure. Pushing the questions away is harder this time. This time, the escape is narrow.

Ethan must notice the change in your demeanor even though you try to brush past it. What is with you today and the overthinking? It really has been to long since you’ve been out with a man. Or gone out in general really. Ouch. Stopping yourself from thinking about that number really is all too easy.

He drops the character entirely and a shy boy peeks out from under his layers. One that looks as if he genuinely wants to know the answer to his next question. Your heart melts further when he glances at the children by the counter before looking back to you.

“Are you? Dating anybody?”

________________________________________________________________

Ethan had no idea if this was going well or not. Y/N is laughing and the kids are being their normal selves, but he wonders if you think his family is crazy. They are. But he loves them with everything he has. Which, considering the last few years isn’t very much, his family took up so much space in his heart, he really didn’t leave much else for anyone else. Not that he had--or made--the time for that.

Ethan is extremely well off, Dolan Productions continues to grow everyday. He could probably stop working today and lead a stable life. Sure, they have the property in New Jersey. The one in LA. Grayson still owned his old family home and Ethan may or may not have a cottage in Europe somewhere that he never discloses the location to. And both boys have plenty in the bank. But Ethan enjoys working, he likes the sense of purpose and accomplishment it provides. With an added bonus of proving everyone who ever said he and Grayson were crazy or worse, wrong. Oh so very wrong.

Gray had married first and created his settled life with his kids, and then Ethan had become the weird one. First he and Gray were crazy. Then they were ‘young and ambitious businessmen.’ Then Gray became super dad and Ethan was just ‘ambitious and possibly lonely,’ according to his mother. Then the scandal hit and both boys ducked as far under the radar as they could. Now the ‘Dolan Twins’ were no longer the face of their own company. Both were still in charge and worked, but they’d let their lives get more quiet. Somebody else did most of the PR now. After seeing how the media could ruin something already so broken, neither of the boys ever wanted to be the talk of the town again. And they definitely never, ever, wanted that for Parker and Edith. Convincing Gray to let them be in a Broadway show took weeks. Their mother ended up pulling Grayson by the ear into her bedroom and they didn’t come out for a good 45 minutes.

Though right now Ethan had no idea why he’d stuck his neck out for these heathens in the first place. Parks was hunched over in a game and barely speaking, it wasn’t the most polite move in the world, but Ethan preferred his nephew about 10 times more than his niece right now. She was a lot like her aunt Cam and a lot like her grandmother. Always talking, noticing everything, and being too smart for her own good. Including right now, where she was practically grilling Y/N, and making not-so-subtle-9-year-old-pointed glances at Ethan. ‘Oh that’s E-Tee’s favorite color too!’ Even though Ethan was sure the little girl had no idea what his favorite color was.

Not that it mattered nor did Edith probably care.

“Ms. Y/L/N are you married?” Edith’s face looks innocent when she poses the question, but Ethan can see the mischief in her eyes. It was the same look she had before she’d run and tell her daddy about the cookie Ethan had given her after bedtime when he wouldn’t supply her with another one. He lets out a small passive chuckle and squints throws a dirty look to the little girl. Evil genius child.

“Edith lets not ask such personal questions okay?” He raises an eyebrow and silently begs the universe to just do him this one solid and have the little girl just go with it.

Of course she doesn’t and Ethan ends up with his head in his hands in embarrassment, again. But you don’t miss a beat, and boy does he notice. You were always so collected around other people, which of course was part of your job, but Ethan is an awe at how smooth you are. He’s seen people blow up at these two kids and blow up at him, but you’re laughing and taking it in stride. Which encourages his confidence back up enough to get the courage to go for the same question he’d been wanting to ask you.

Why aren’t you married? Could you possibly be single? How? With those eyes? Your passion? And your hair? Your very beautiful and, well, pullable hair?

There’s gotta be something wrong with this chick.

And there it was. There’s the thought he’d been fearing would pop up. The inevitable, well there-has-to-be-something-wrong-here-and-if-there-isn’t-then-you-sure-will-cause-it thought. Dammit. Ethan really didn’t want his mother to be right when she talks about how emotionally stunted her boys have become, but here he was. Wondering if the nice, beautiful woman in front of him could be some sort of secret psychopath. He’d seen it before. Or if maybe Ethan was the secret psychopath who didn’t really want somebody to love him, or somebody for him to love. He’d seen that all go wrong before too. Ethan looks at Edith and Parker trying to buy cake at the counter, he’d seen the damage all of the fallout could really cause.

But he has to know, all jokes aside. Something in him has to know.

“Are you? Dating anyone?” He watches your eyes for your response, hoping the answer would be no. It had to be. You wouldn’t be out for lunch with him if you had someone else would you?

“Ah. No, no I’m not.” Ethan swears, but never admits that his heart skips a beat at your answer. He grins widely, not trying to hide it, and your grin matches his.

“Would you consider going out with me sometime?” Ethan’s mind and stomach feel like static waiting for your answer, which doesn’t come as soon as he’d like, due to the untimely return of his crew. Edith hops up with Parker in tow, who has his face screwed up in disgust.

“Finally!” Edith cries excitedly, looking between the two of you.

“Thats gross.” Parker mumbles, before shoving a bite of cake into his mouth. Edith frowns deeply at him and looks at you expectantly. Ethan groans again, of course. Of course Edith had to hear that. Now Grayson will hear and so will his mother and probably Cam. Great.

“Well since we know you’ll say yes, you should come on monday cause thats when theres no rehearsal. And we can make cake and you can meet Nana!” Edith’s eye shine brightly and she grins, “Nana gets upset cause E-tee-wee-tee doesn’t bring home girls. But now you’ll come!” She smiles proudly at Ethan and he’s got a deadpan face on, directed right at her. Why did she always feel the need to get involved in everything? And now Y/N knows his stupid nickname he’d been trying to be rid of ever since Grayson plastered it on their old YouTube Channel.

Ethan puts his chin in his hand and huffs, might as well let the little girl talk. This was her date anyway. He holds back a wince, is he really jealous of a seven-year-old? Ethan looks over to you at the same time you glance at him and a smile forms on his face. You didn’t look annoyed at all. In fact you looked like you were still having a great time. Yup, definitely jealous of anybody who could make you smile like that. He winks at you and it makes you laugh, which prompts Edith to stop talking about whatever she decided to ramble about--her room maybe?

“Excuse me!” Edith harps, but Ethan is too wrapped up in staring at you, and you’re too wrapped up in staring back. “Fine. As we say in theater, silence means argument!” That statement breaks the semi staring contest the two of you entered and Ethan draws his eyebrows together.

“Agreement. Silence means agreement Edith.” Y/N winks at the little girl, who nods. You turn to Ethan and he shifts nervously under your gaze. “But I think your uncle and I can probably work something out.”

“Yes! Yeah. Um absolutely.” Ethan quips almost too quickly. He pauses for a moment and makes a mental note to drop the weirdo excitement and speak like a normal person and not like his brother. But where to take you? Dinner? A movie? Neither sounded special, and a movie was definitely out. You weren’t 15-year-olds on a first date. Ethan is fumbling and he knows it. He hasn’t taken a girl out on a date in years. He splutters for a moment and his brain has a small meltdown. You live in the city. He lives an hour away, was there a place in the middle? He had no idea. There was a gas station off the interstate on one of the exits, but that definitely wouldn’t work.

Well fuck. Should he entertain Edith’s idea? He imagines you in New Jersey for a moment. Would you like it? The land? His home? You’d have to meet his mom. Though he was pretty sure Lisa had picked up the kids at least once or twice. And you could handle Eadie and Parks like a champ. But take you to his home on a first date? People didn’t do that, did they? He didn’t think so. But. That meant it was original. Which kinda made it special. Right?

Dammit. New Jersey it is.