Work Text:
Jesse’s sat in front of Frozen, her sunflower dress fanned out around her, one hand mindlessly stroking Frannie-May as the world of Arendelle completely sucks them in. Even the knock at the door doesn’t penetrate her bubble of concentration. Billie is less docile, waving her feet wildly while Amanda tries unsuccessfully to settle her just long enough to slip on small shoes. They’re not expecting company, Amanda still only half-ready, eyes keenly on the clock.
But she pulls the door open to find Carisi and feels the quiet nerves in her chest expand, inflate like a balloon until she’s certain it will crush her ribs. He’s standing there, half smile painted on his lips, and not for the first time he takes her breath away. For a moment she’s thrown back to a warm Southern evening, corsage on her wrist, the whiff of hairspray in her nose; prom. He’s a significant improvement from RJ, but her pulse quickens in much the same wistful hope.
“What are you doin’ here?”
“We’re goin’ to a wedding, remember, Rollins?”
“Yeah but I-“ She swallows around the words when Billie patters over to flex her little palms at Carisi. He lifts her up so easily, without a second thought for his nice suit, smoothing down the material of her dress once she’s securely propped against his waist. For a moment Amanda lets herself imagine.
“So what can I help with?”
“Carisi…”
“Look I can go watch Frozen with Jess, or you can let me help while you go get ready.”
“You sayin’ I’m not wedding ready?” There’s a grin playing on her lips, one eyebrow raised in a jesting dare as she gestures to the striped shirt and jeans she’s currently wearing.
“I’m saying you’re beautiful but maybe you wanna change into something without sweet potato puree on it.” At his words she pulls the material away from her skin, groaning when she spots the orange stain against her ribs.
“It’s carrot. Just- for the record.” His cheeks raise in amusement, lips tightly pursed against a laugh and she concedes. “Shoes and lunchboxes, if you don’t mind.”
“Shoes and lunchboxes. Got it.”
The giggles reach her down the hallway, setting butterflies loose in her belly. And as she slides lipstick onto her smile she lets her heart fill with the word beautiful.
She’s rummaging in her clutch trying to make the damn thing close as she steps into the living space but her eyes snap sharply to his at the “Woah.” that welcomes her. For a beat his mouth hangs slightly open, an awed expression she was once familiar with, before his eyes re-focus and his ears flood pink. “You look- uh-“ He flounders and she smiles softly, moving forward to unnecessarily straighten his tie.
“You too, Dominick.”
She takes a breath, focuses on the red wood of the door and finally lets the words out from behind her teeth. “Thought you had a-“ she searches for the right word, finally landing on “date.” after a heavy pause as she fiddles with the door, spinning the locks tightly closed behind them. Her eyes flit to him, him standing there with the girls backpack slung over his left shoulder and Jesse’s hand in his right.
“There’s no one else.”
Carisi awkwardly clears his throat as she tucks the keys into her clutch, a helium balloon of hope catching in her abdomen. That word else says more than he intends; it thrums through her, echoing through her mind when her fingers lace through his at Fin’s vows, glittering through her veins when his coat winds up draped over her shoulders in the evenings breeze.
It’s in the soft exhale of her laugh when they wind up, hours later, kissing outside this same door, his hair mussed and her vowels loose.
There’s no one else. Just you. Just us. she thinks as she pulls him closer against her, smiling.