Work Text:
It’s dark in the room when something wakes TK. Closing his eyes and sinking back into tiredness, he listens as the quiet sounds of nature outside the window cut through the silence of the house. Hearing nothing he turns over, almost unconsciously reaching for the other side of the bed. His hand meets cold sheets and an empty pillow, causing his eyes to open again. The red light of the clock shines back at him, 12:08 am. With a groan TK rolls back over vaguely remembering Carlos telling him he’d be late tonight after a break in his case.
Just as he’s about to drift off again he hears the sound that must have woken him. A soft cry, more of a whine, coming from the baby monitor sitting on his bedside table. He’s awake in an instant, pushing himself to his feet so quickly he stumbles, before he is able to turn and make his way out of the room and across the hall. Entering their daughter’s nursery it is quiet once again and TK takes a moment to just watch his daughter sleeping in her crib. Most of the time he still cannot believe that this is real. That they have a daughter. That he is a father.
It’s only been a month since he and Carlos welcomed their little girl home and they’re still finding their footing. This is actually the first night that Carlos hasn’t been home with them, both of them having taken some time off, but life doesn’t slow down. A quiet cry comes from the crib again and has TK rushing across the room, reaching into the crib and carefully lifting his little girl into his arms. Despite having held small babies before, there is something so different about holding his own child. She seems all the more breakable, like one wrong move from him and everything could come crashing down.
TK takes a deep breath as he sways and wills the negative emotions and fears back into the quiet corner of his mind until he can talk to someone about them. He doesn’t want his fears and anxiety to ruin any moment he has with his daughter. “Shhhh,” he whispers softly as he carefully navigates through changing her diaper and grabbing a bottle from the fridge. Waiting for the bottle to warm he wanders the living room, bouncing and swaying to the tune of the lullaby he sings softly. Soon though she starts squirming and it’s clear the hunger is winning out over the comfort, so TK grabs the mostly warm bottle and quickly settles into the rocking chair in the corner of the nursery.
Thankfully as soon as the bottle is in her mouth, she calms, sucking greedily. It doesn’t take long until the bottle is gone and she’s been burped. TK knows he should lay her back in her crib and try to get some more sleep himself. Even with him and Carlos taking shifts, they’re both still dead on their feet most days; having learned that baby schedules are extremely unpredictable. He can’t find it in himself to leave her though and he’s not particularly keen to go back to a cold, empty bed where he knows all his thoughts will just run wild on him.
Instead he settles deeper into the chair, placing a gentle kiss on his daughter’s head and whispering, ““I love you Mila Gwyneth.”
Mila shifts and TK swears she smiles a little in her sleep, almost like the sound of his voice makes her happy. That thought blossoms in his chest and he smiles, “Have I told you the story of your Papa and I, yet?” He asks quietly, knowing he won’t get a response. Keeping his voice low he begins to talk.
Carlos closes the front door softly behind him. It’s nearly one in the morning and he hopes TK and their daughter are still fast asleep. With Mila’s sleep schedule it’s anyone’s guess and Carlos feels bad that he is getting home so late. It’s the first time since they brought Mila home that he’s taken on the role of primary detective for a case, but it was time. He knows that both him and TK still want to work, and want to find that balance between family and their passions for helping people.
He doesn’t hear anything as he quietly slips off his shoes and places his keys in the bowl on the kitchen counter. The pot with water clues him onto the fact that Mila has been awake at least once tonight needing a bottle. Reaching up and undoing his tie as he navigates down the hallway he hears quiet whispers escaping the crack of the nursery room door. TK’s voice, soft and melodic, floats over him as he pauses just outside the door to listen.
“And that’s how your Papa surprised me with the idea of mixing our heritages and traditions into the wedding. You would have liked all the bright colors and I know you’ll love it when you get older and can run around the Reyes ranch. It was so kind for your Abuelos to offer it for the wedding.”
Carlos smiles as he listens to TK tell their daughter more about his parents. He loves how close TK and his mother have grown over the years and will always cherish his own newly re-developed relationship with his father. TK is quiet for a long moment and Carlos is just about to turn and head to their bedroom to change out of his work clothes when he hears the quiet hitch of TK’s breathing.
“I wish you could have met your grandma Gwyn. She would have loved you so, so much, my sweet girl. I can almost hear her voice calling you that, my sweet girl. She used to call me her sweet boy.” Another hitched breath and Carlos doesn’t wait any longer to push the door open further. Despite the lack of sound, TK’s head whips up from where it was bent over the sleeping baby.
In the low light of the night light Carlos catches the glimmer of tears on TK’s cheeks and he steps into the room, crouching down in front of TK. Placing one hand gently on TK’s knee the other makes its way to his cheek. With just a look they share more than words ever could and then Carlos lifts his hand to gently place it on his daughter’s head. They stay like that for several moments, Carlos’ hands on TK’s cheek and Mila’s head. Connecting him to the two most important people in the world. Giving comfort to them both in different ways.
TK shifts then, leaning down to place a gentle kiss on Mila’s head before his lips greet Carlos with a soft press. Carlos accepts it like the gift it is and when they break apart, he helps TK slowly stand. Carlos steps back and watches as TK places their daughter gently in her crib, and then accepts the hand TK holds out to him as he steps away. They move quietly in sync back into their own room and Carlos lets TK go when he moves off towards the bedroom. He takes the opportunity to change into his sleeping clothes and is waiting on the side of the bed when TK returns.
Instead of moving around to his side, TK sits next to Carlos, leaning fully into him as he rests his cheek over Carlos’ chest. “Sorry I was so late.” Carlos murmurs into TK’s hair, stroking it back off his forehead.
“It’s okay. Mila was only up the once,” TK assures sitting up a little and moving so they are face-to-face. “Did you solve the case?”
Carlos sighs, frustrated that he spent all this time away from his family for a dead lead, but there is a woman’s family out there wanting answers and Carlos wants to be able to give them those answers. “No, but now we know where not to look.”
“You’ll figure it out.” TK responds confidently. He’s always so confident in Carlos’ abilities, in a way that’s almost beyond comprehension. Carlos isn’t perfect, he has open cases that have gone cold, that’s the nature of his work, but still TK just believes.
“How long have you been up with Mila?” Carlos changes the subject, not wanting to dwell on the dark thoughts of work any longer.
TK shifts to look around him at the clock. “A little over an hour.”
“Did she not want to go down?” he asks, concerned, since she’s normally pretty easy going at night.
TK shakes his head, “I got distracted telling her a bedtime story.”
“Oh,” Carlos raises his eyebrows, intrigued at the wording after overhearing some of what TK was telling their daughter.
TK chuckles, “Mhmm, a fairytale.”
“One I know?”
TK ducks down against his chest again, but not before Carlos catches the blush that colors his cheeks in the dim light of their bedside lamp. “Maybe, it’s the best one I know. I was telling her a story of love.”
Carlos doesn’t even try to stop the smile that blooms across his face at TK’s words, “Sounds like the best bedtime story. Maybe I should have you tell it to me while we fall asleep.”
“How about instead we fall asleep together so we can wake up tomorrow and keep living it.”
Carlos leans down to press his lips firmly to TK’s head as he feels the swell of emotion rise in his throat. “I’d love that.”
And so they do, TK rolls over to his side of the bed while Carlos tucks himself under the covers. The bed is cold, but they move close together, wrapping together. As Carlos closes his eyes he doesn’t mind the dark that sits behind his eyelids because he knows that the day that will greet him tomorrow will be bright.