Orbiting [Chase/Ari]

"It's okay, Clara," Chase whispered, slipping out of the front door of his house with a fussy Clara in his arms. It was dark, and Mia was sleeping, so when Clara started to fuss in the night, Chase quietly got up and went to quiet her. His daughter, however, refused to be consoled, so Chase took her outside, afraid she would wake Mia up.

"Look, Clara," he said, pointing at the stars. He sat down on the grass, not yet wet with dew, and positioned the whimpering girl on his lap. "Look at the stars."

He had no idea what time it was, but he certainly loved it. You couldn't get this view of the stars in the city. It was too bright. But out in the country, you could see everything. Little diamonds in the sky. Just like the song.

He was going to be living in this area soon, why not get used to the surroundings now? And perhaps, there was a little birdie that told him that the Hawthornes lived around this area. It was dark out and the stars were out--it was a nice sight and he couldn't help but just stop and stare up at the night sky. There was a cry, perhaps the little girl? Ari glanced around and low and behold, there was the girl along with her father, Chase.

"Evenin' Chase." He greeted, in some sort of low tone, nearing the male, "What are you doing up so late or at least why outside so late?" He questioned.

Chase looked at Ari and groaned, tilting his head back. "Perk of fatherhood," he said. Clara's wails had been reduced to sniffs and whimpers, and she was starting to relax a little bit in Chase's arms.

"What about you?" he asked Ari. "You're a newlywed, after all. Shouldn't you be with your wife?" He grinned. "Someday, when you have kids, we'll all get together and form the League of Parents Who Don't Sleep Through The Night Because Of Their Children."

Ari stifled a laugh--oh the joys it seemed to be, to be a father. "Me?" He restated the question, "I couldn't sleep." He shrugged, "I had to go for a walk and I didn't want to wake up Dylan." He continued to speak but then let out a soft laugh at Chase's comment, "We probably will, but for now, I think I'll enjoy the quiet before she and I have kids." He spoke, "Though I'm sure it can't be that bad. In a few months, she be sleeping through the night."

Chase sighed. "Here, why don't you hold her for a minute?" he suggested, standing up and handing Clara over to Ari without really giving him adequate time to refuse. "You might as well get used to holding a little kid. You'll probably be having your own before too long," he said, nudging Ari with his elbow and chuckling. "It's really not all that bad. The good times far outweigh the bad. But sleep...I do miss sleep."

"No, it's--." Before Ari could deny her, Chase basically placed Clara in his arms. Sure, it did feel nice and new to hold something that small in his arms, something living and not a little plastic doll. Maybe, maybe he and Dylan would have a kid soon. "Haha, I guess you're right. But why rush? You want me to have a kid so badly." He chuckled, "She doesn't seem that bad, once she's asleep, at least." He smiled, "Oh sleep, something I'll be missing soon."

Clara looked up at Ari and smiled. She said something in baby talk that not even Chase could make out, and put a tiny hand on his face. "At least she stopped crying," Chase said. "And there's no rush. But it'd be nice not to be the only family with little kids around," he grinned. "I get stopped in my own store all the time by little old ladies cooing over my girl. If this is any indication of her teenage years, I'm in trouble - only replace the little old ladies with awkward, acne-faced teenage boys." He chuckled. "Besides, kids are funny creatures."

Ari smiled as little Clara touched his face, "Haha yeah." He glanced down at the small child then back to Chase, "I gotcha' Chase." He laughed, "Don't worry man. He'll be coming soon, promise." He chuckled, "How sweet, little old ladies cooing at your kid. You make want to heed that as a warning for when she does get older. She's be just as pretty as her mother, won't she?" He smiled, looking down at the girl once more then back at Chase. "They certainly seem it."