“I don’t know why you always want to come with me.” Niall Horan glanced down at his ten-year-old daughter, Claire. He parked his car outside of a London recording studio and looked over at her again, waiting for an answer. “It’s going to be really boring for you, we’re just going to be recording and working on material for my new album. Just like we have been every day.”

Claire just shook her head. Her father was wrong, it was going to be anything but boring. He was to be spending the afternoon working on his second solo record with a man who, as Claire understood it, had been in a group with him many years ago. Now, he was a music producer, and the two of them would be working on some songs together for her father’s album.

Zayn Malik was his name, and Claire’s heart filled with glee every time she heard it.

She was quite sure she’d known Zayn her entire life. However, she was also quite sure she would never forget the first time she actually took notice of him. She had been absolutely smitten with his dark features, his perfect smile and his smooth voice. Sure, she had listened in on her father’s late night talks with his friends when they were all over for a visit. They’d reminisce about all the silly things they’d done in their youth and how Zayn still hadn’t quite grown out of that phase, but Claire was sure it was all nonsense. Zayn had always been nothing but sweet to her.

Yes, Claire had been madly in love with Zayn ever since she was six years old. And when she heard that her father was going to be working with him, she knew she had to spend as much time as possible with them.

“Come on, Claire-bear,” Niall said, getting out of the car. He looked over at her side and noticed her gazing up at the overhead mirror, applying pink lipstick.

“Da-ad,” Claire whined, putting the makeup back into her small purse. “Don’t call me that!”

Niall ignored her pre-teen protest. “Where did you get that?” he asked as she stepped out of the car and walked up the front steps of the studio with him.

“Mum gave it to me,” she shrugged, eagerly walking through the front doors.

“Your mother’s letting you grow up way too fast,” Niall muttered to himself as they walked down the clear halls.

Claire walked quickly with anticipation. When they reached the room where they had been everyday for the past week, Claire’s heart skipped a beat.

They walked inside and sure enough, there he was, sitting in front of the soundboard. Claire couldn’t help but smile to herself as she looked at him. He always looked so handsome, wearing earth-toned suits that contrasted his studded earrings. He was the picture of a professional music producer.

“Hey Nailler,” Zayn greeted him with a nod as the door shut. He looked down at Claire with a smile. “How are you, Claire-bear?”

Claire blushed a little. “Just fine,” she said simply.

“Oh sure,” Niall scoffed jokingly. “You call her that, and it’s fine, I call her that and all I get is ‘da-ad!’”

Zayn just smiled at the two of them and then glanced at Niall. “Shall we get to work?”

Claire just sat in the chair against the wall as she watched the two men. Her father would go into the recording booth, sing for a little while and Zayn would listen and watch him intently.

Claire studied him, she wondered what he was thinking about. What could possibly be going through that head of his as he watched her dad sing? She heard her dad sing all the time and never found it quite as interesting as Zayn seemed to.

She sighed to herself as she watched. He definitely knew what he was doing in regards to his work, because when Niall came out of the booth he had comments and suggestions that Claire never would have thought of. The two men bounced around ideas together the entire afternoon. Claire hardly noticed the time tick by as she sat there.

She had to glance away a couple of times, of course. She played with her phone every so often so that neither of them would catch on to the fact that she was spending her time looking at Zayn’s perfect face.

She imagined what it would be like to be older and to be married to him. She figured they would live in a really upscale place, close to where he could go to work. But it would also be near lots of boutiques so she could go shopping throughout the day while he was off making beautiful music for the rest of the world.

She would come home and have supper ready for him, and he would show up at the door with a bouquet of flowers, kiss her on the cheek and say “I love you, Claire-bear.” He would be the only person in the world allowed to call her that awful nickname.

Claire sighed happily, enjoying her daydreams as she watched Zayn concentrate hard on his work.

Until an incessant buzzing pulled her out of her trance.

“Dad,” she said with annoyance. “Your phone’s going off.”

Niall gave Zayn an apologetic shrug as he stepped out of the booth. He quickly checked the text message he’d received. “Sorry, mate,” he said with a laugh as he set his phone back down on the table. “It was the wife.”

Zayn shook his head a little and gave Niall a look. “Sometimes I still can’t believe you got married,” he laughed.

Niall just shrugged again. “What can I say? I grew up I guess,” he said with a grin. “And when are you going to tie the knot? You’re the last man standing out of the five of us.”

Claire was practically on the edge of her seat waiting to hear the answer to that. As far as she was concerned, she hoped Zayn would never get married. At least, not until she was old enough to be the one he said “I do,” to.

Zayn cocked his head to the side. “I don’t know,” he said simply. “I’m too busy with work to settle down.”

Claire breathed a little sigh of relief. Then, felt a little boost of confidence. “You can marry me, Zayn,” she said, trying to play it off as a joke.

Niall didn’t think it was funny at all. “No you can’t,” he said, giving Zayn a look.

Claire rolled her eyes.

Zayn just laughed as he stood up. He ruffled Claire’s hair a little. “Maybe one day, kiddo,” he winked at her.

Outwardly, Claire just blushed and smiled a little. Inwardly, her giddiness was through the roof.

Maybe one day when she was older, Zayn would actually marry her. She knew she still had a lot of growing up to do, but she didn’t care. She would wait for him forever if she had to.