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The house is dark and still when Carlos steps through the front door. He feels instant calm overcome him at just simply being home after a long day. He toes off his shoes and begins to unbutton his uniform shirt as he makes his way further in. There are toys scattered on the living room floor and dishes stacked in the sink, leading Carlos to believe that his husband must have had quite the night. He quiets his footsteps as he walks down the hallway but decides it’s no use when he hears sounds coming from one of the open doors, a light shining out to illuminate the darkened hallway. As he turns the corner of the doorway, the sight before him very nearly melts his heart. TK is sitting cross-legged, his back leaned against the wall and a book in his lap. Laying next to him is their son Leo, giggling at TK as he reads the book in a funny voice with wild gestures.
Carlos can’t help but to smile as he raises his hand to knock his knuckles against the doorframe, grabbing the attention of both TK and Leo. Leo quickly gains a tired smile on his little face. “Papa!”
“Hey sweetheart.” Carlos says as he steps into the room and walks the small space to sit down on the bed, scooting backwards until he is beside TK. “What are you two up to?”
“Dada’s reading me a book!” Leo says.
“Is he now?” Carlos asks, raising his eyebrow as he looks at TK. “Hey you.”
“Hey babe.” TK whispers as he leans over to place a quick kiss to Carlos’ lips. “How was your day?”
Carlos shrugs. “Pretty uneventful. What about you guys?”
“We watched some cartoons, went on a walk with Judd and Stella, and then did some colouring.” TK says, listing off the things on his fingers.
“I have a present for you, Papa.” Leo says before leaning over to his end table. Carlos instinctively puts out his arm and hovers his hand a few inches away from Leo’s chest just in case the little boy loses his balance. He eventually leans back with a little square clutched in his hand and he passes it over to Carlos. Carlos turns the little piece of paper and smiles at the picture that awaits him. It’s very obviously a picture that they snapped the day that they had first brought Leo home. It had been one of the happiest days of their lives and every day that had followed had been nothing but just that.
“We also went in and got all the pictures done.” TK says, as he leans over to look. “That’s Leo’s favourite one.”
“It’s beautiful, my love.” Carlos says. “I love it, thank you.”
Leo beams at Carlos’ words before he settles back down onto his pillows and yawns.
“Why don’t we get you to bed?” Carlos suggests and Leo quickly shakes his head ‘no’.
“Just one more chapter, papa, please.” Leo pouts, his bottom lip popping out.
“Yeah, Carlos, just one more chapter.” TK says and when Carlos turns to look at him, he is giving him an identical look.
Carlos eyes him carefully before he can’t hold back his smile any longer and he shakes his head. “Fine, one more chapter and then bedtime.”
Leo celebrates the small victory before he lays down again and stares at TK. Carlos also turns to look at his husband as he clears his throat and begins to read the story once again.
***
Leo doesn’t end up lasting one more chapter, falling asleep before TK could even make it half way through and TK closes the book, setting it down onto the bed beside them. He leans down to kiss Leo’s forehead before he slides from the bed to stand up. Carlos follows suit before they are both stepping out of the room and TK is closing the door, leaving it slightly ajar.
As soon as they make it to their bedroom, Carlos gently grabs TK by the wrist as he walks past him and pulls him in, giving him a gentle kiss.
When they part, TK smiles at him. Carlos will never tire of seeing that smile, it’s his lifeboat when he is in need and he will never let it go. They’re much too tired to speak, but they seem to be able to still have a conversation as they take one another in. Thank you for coming home to me and I missed you hanging in the air between them. Eventually they move from one another’s arms and TK walks over to the bed while Carlos makes his way to the bathroom to get ready for bed.
As Carlos emerges from the bathroom, he sees TK staring down at the picture that Leo had given Carlos. “Remember how freaked out we were when they called us that night?”
Carlos in fact does remember. It had been a rainy day in Austin and the social worker had phoned in the middle of the night, telling them they were in need of an emergency placement for a little boy. The two of them, half asleep and in total disbelief, had agreed in a heartbeat to it. Little did they know that Leo would become such a huge part of their lives, that they would eventually adopt him and welcome him into their family.
“That I do.” Carlos says as he slips underneath the covers. “We wanted everything to be perfect.”
“And it is.” TK whispers before he leans over and places the picture onto the nightstand. He then lays back down, this time tucked into Carlos’ side, his head on Carlos’ chest. Carlos automatically wraps his arms around him and places a kiss to the top of his hair. “Have I mentioned lately I love you?”
Carlos smiles. “Every day. And every day I love you right back. That, I assure you, will never change.”
TK opens his eyes and tilts his chin so he is looking up at Carlos. There’s nothing said in that moment between them, just simple searching of one another’s gazes before they settle back down having had their own little conversation. Carlos tightens his arms around TK’s frame, pulling him ever so closer to him.
“Goodnight, Carlos.”
“Goodnight, Ty.”
It’s only a few moments before TK’s breathing evens out and he is asleep. Carlos yawns quietly and he glances over to the end table where the picture sits. He can’t see it much in the dark, but he knows it’s there, knows the people in it are close to him and with that, he can close his eyes; knowing he is at complete and utter peace with the world.