Work Text:
Amy Santiago had been tired before.
Working her way through college, the police academy, the detective program and all of her other internships and side classes had been exhausting. Staying up late nights missing Jake in Florida, and then in prison, was exhausting. Being an NYPD detective in itself was exhausting without adding pursuit of promotions and eventual achievement of climbing through the ranks. Being an NYPD sergeant meant long days, tiring shifts and working from home more than she ever had, it was exhausting.
Trying for a baby was exhausting. But she didn’t like to think about those endless months of what she considered the hardest trial Jake and she had made it through in their marriage.
Being pregnant? Was amazing. It seemed to fly by before she even realized. As her belly grew she only seemed to have more energy, more excitement bubbling up. Everyone -her husband Jake included- warned her to take it easy and rest, that she’d regret it when the baby was here and she had no time to sleep, but she’d never been one to listen to the advice of others (unless they were superior officers.)
Sadly, the months of Jake kissing her belly and spooning her through the night while he talked excitedly about Christmases and birthdays with the upcoming third member of their family, had come to an end. Giving birth in the precinct while managing a city-wide emergency wasn’t the hardest thing she’d ever done, but it definitely made the top five.
Now that little McClane Santiago-Peralta was here though, Amy was experiencing true exhaustion. It was night two after coming home from the hospital. Night one had been okay, she and Jake were both still full of adrenaline from his arrival to really care about missing any sleep. And she’d gotten some rest at the hospital while Jake looked over Mac.
Tonight, however, the full magnitude of her fatigue crept up around her shoulders like a weighted blanket. As she lounged on the couch, shifting her sore body gingerly, the sounds of Die Hard tinned on lowly as a background thrum in her tired ears. Jake was pacing the living room floor with Mac bundled up in his arms, bouncing the new baby with so much focus Amy didn’t see his eyes shift to the movie even once, though she knew the familiar sounds helped relax him.
“Ames,” Jake looked up from their son's face at the sound of Amy’s latest yawn, “Why don’t you go lay down for a bit? I’ve got him.” he assured her in a tiny voice. That’s how they’d been speaking the past few days; quietly, gently, softly. She wondered if the novelty of having a newborn would ever wear off, and they’d go back to their full-fledged signature volume. They weren’t exactly known for being a soft-spoken couple.
Amy glanced at the clock above the stove, noticing it was only 7:30. Mac had already been fed his dinner, but he’d be up again hungry in another four to six hours. She decided to soldier on and try to stay awake until her son fell asleep. She was trying desperately to get on the same schedule as him.
“I’m okay.” she replied simply, smiling warmly at her husband, “Maybe once we get him down.”
Jake’s answering smile was wearier than she’d ever seen the man, the bags under his eyes were starting to become prominent as the past few days of no sleep started to catch up with him. Even though they took turns with who physically got out of bed to get Mac throughout the night, the sounds of his shrill cries brought both parents to an alert state that was hard to fall back asleep from until he was laid back down.
She felt a new love and appreciation for Jake now, watching the tired, slowly swaying movements of his body as he rocked his son. His mahogany curls were greasy and unwashed, armpits a little stinky, and his breath could definitely be better. Yet, he’d never been more handsome to her. The contours of his familiar face had never looked more perfect than they did in the low light of their living room lamps as he molded his arms around the small baby in them.
Amy patted the space next to her on the couch, “I need my boys.” she said warmly.
Jake’s smile grew and he navigated across the room to slowly sink his body down next to her with a sigh, still clutching Mac tightly against his chest. The baby’s eyelids were fluttering tiredly, but he remained awake and seemingly alert. His big chocolate eyes mirrored Jake’s so much, it was hard for Amy not to get overwhelmed with emotion every time she looked at either of them.
She leaned in to press a kiss on Jake’s nose, grimacing in pain as the movement sent waves of soreness through her already aching body. Jake’s brows pulled down with worry, mouth contorting in a sympathetic frown.
“Still hurting?” he asked softly.
Amy nodded once, “I’m alright.” though there was audible discomfort in her voice.
“Here.” gently, Jake passed the baby from his arms to hers, which she eagerly accepted. He wedged a pillow under her arm to support Mac’s weight, and stood up from the sofa, heading for the kitchen.
He returned after a moment with one of the fancy ice packs they’d purchased before the birth in preparation. Carefully without jostling her or the baby too much, Amy lifted her butt off the couch so Jake could slide the ice pack between her thighs, nestled safely. She sat back down with a pleased noise of relief, which made him smile as he resumed his position beside her on the couch.
Jake ran a hand through his unkempt hair, sighing, “I’m tired.” he admitted.
Amy laughed quietly, “Yeah, me too. Babe, why don’t you go take a shower and lay down? I’ll put him down while you rest.”
Sternly, Jake shook his head, “You’re not putting him down without me. You’re not even supposed to be doing heavy lifting.”
Amy rolled her eyes, “He’s nine pounds Jake.”
“Nine is heavy for some people!” he insisted, “But I want to be there when he goes to sleep. I want to kiss him goodnight.”
Amy’s heart clenched at her husband’s sweet words, though they weren’t foreign or unexpected. Jake had already made it a point to do all the things his own father never did for him, and their baby was only a few days old. Not only had he been taking care of Amy like she was an invalid, he’d gone above and beyond to show Mac how much he loved him, even if the baby had zero awareness.
“Jake Peralta, have I ever told you that you’re the most amazing man on Earth?”
Jake grinned, “Even with my 24 hour no shower stank?”
Amy giggled, “Yes, even then, stinky.”
Before he could reply, Mac gurgled loudly and swatted a chubby little fist upward. Amy’s brows rose in surprise as she watched his little face contort into one of displeasure and a small cry eked out of his lips.
“Still hungry buddy?” she inquired after discovering his diaper was still fresh. She readjusted her shirt and raised him to her breast to eat, noticing Jake stand up from the couch and bring her a tall glass of ice water and a banana from the kitchen. He set both on the end table beside her and smiled sweetly before sitting again. He’d been up and down so much the past few days, he’d probably have a six pack by the time he went back to work.
Amy gratefully gulped down some water while Mac ate, and chewed lazily on the banana as her eyes combed over every inch of her son’s beautiful face. He truly was the most perfect baby to ever exist. Liquid fire.
She glanced up briefly at a noise on the TV, and nudged Jake’s shoulder, “Babe! You’re gonna miss the yippie-kay-yay part.”
Jake’s eyes didn’t move from his son's face as he ate. Jake shook his head, expression still just as awed as it had been the first time he saw Mac, “Don’t care. Look at how beautiful he is, Ames.”
“I know.” she smiled, quirking an eyebrow up, “You really don’t care?”
Jake pursed his lips, glancing once at the TV, then back to Mac’s face, “Nope.”
She believed him. Lately, nothing was more entertaining to the two of them than just staring at their baby’s face. Maybe it was creepy, but they didn’t care. He was an incredible marvel that they still hadn’t fully taken in.
Though, as Jake’s fingers moved forward to wiggle Mac’s toes playfully, she did notice his lips moving in sync with Bruce Willis, as he muttered, “Yippie Kay Yay Muthafucka.”
Amy’s grin was so wide it hurt her cheeks. There was a lot of change around here, but some things would always stay the same. And for that, she was grateful.