Work Text:
Amanda Rollins sat at the table, laptop open in front of her. The girls were in bed, and Carisi had texted her to let her know that he had a late finish tonight, so she’d decided to tackle the pile of grading she’d been putting off. Well, “pile” was not the best description – Fordham had this fancy online grading system that students uploaded their papers to, and she graded everything on her computer, not a single red pen in sight. At least she didn’t have to lug piles of papers home with her for grading, although she could’ve done without the steep learning curve that using the online grading system had turned out to be.
She was enjoying the challenge of teaching, seeing the engagement of her students with the material she was presenting, feeling a warm glow of accomplishment when one of them made a particularly good argument in an assignment or framed a point thoughtfully in class. And if she did miss the thrill of the chase as a detective, well, that was a small price to pay for having regular working hours and a much lower chance of being shot at while she was at work.
It hadn’t taken her long to realise that any extended period of grading called for candy. Preferably chocolate. In copious amounts. So, she regularly dipped into the open bag of M&M’s (plain; those peanut ones were an abomination, as far as she was concerned. And don’t get her started on all those other weird flavors) on the table next to her as she worked, keeping one ear open in case one of the girls called out.
She’d been working steadily for an hour when her back told her it was time to take a break. She looked over at Frannie, who was snoozing on the couch. “Keep my seat warm for me girl, I won’t be long.” Frannie opened one eye at the sound of her mistress's voice, let out a snuffle in response and promptly went back to sleep. “Thanks; I appreciate it,” Amanda told the dog.
She stood up, pressing her hand into the small of her back, and stretched her legs. This pregnancy had been relatively trouble-free so far, although she well knew that things could change in an instant.
She headed into the kitchen for a glass of water and heard her cell phone buzz. She checked the screen and saw a text from her husband.
On way home. C U soon.
She smiled as she read it, sitting back down at the table. Amanda Rollins had thought that she couldn’t handle nice. That’s what she’d told Frank Bucci, only three short years ago. But she hadn’t counted on Carisi’s brand of nice. She still had that voice inside her, telling her that she didn’t deserve to be happy. But it was little more than a whisper now, drowned out by the delighted grin on Carisi’s face when he walked through the front door, only to be almost knocked off his feet by two small blonde girls, wanting to tell him all about their day.
Drowned out by the softening of his features when he noticed that Billie had fallen asleep before he’d got to the end of a bedtime story.
By the sheer happiness Amanda saw on his face every time he leant in to kiss her, just because he could.
By the heat in his eyes, every time he showed her with his body just how much he loved her, when he was buried inside her so deeply it took her breath away. The reverence with which he touched her sometimes almost brought tears to her eyes. No-one had ever loved Amanda like Carisi did; she hadn’t known what it was like to be adored … worshiped. She did now.
That voice was nothing compared to Carisi’s expression of wonder when he rested his hand on her growing belly and felt their baby move inside her.
The sound of a key in the lock of the front door startled her out of her reverie. Carisi walked in, smiling at her as he walked over to the table and bent down to kiss her. “Mmm, you taste like chocolate,” he said, setting down his briefcase on the chair beside her.
“Guilty as charged, Counselor.” She picked up the bag of M&M’s and offered it to him. “Want a taste?”
“Don’t mind if I do,” he said, eyes twinkling with mischief as he leant down to kiss her again. (And there was that look of sheer happiness on his face.)
She was laughing, and maybe a little bit breathless, when he pulled away. “That wasn’t what I meant.”
He feigned surprise. “It wasn’t?”
“No, it was not, but you won’t hear me complaining.” Still smiling, she looked up at him. “Have you eaten? I got some take-out on the way home; it’s in the fridge. I had a craving for Thai for some reason, so we’ve got stir-fry chicken with cashews, beef Pad Thai, spring rolls and fried rice.”
“I haven’t eaten; Thai sounds amazing. How was your day? Are the girls asleep?” He crouched down next to her and rubbed his hand over her belly. “And how’s this little one doing? Did he give you any trouble today?”
“Well, my bladder feels like it’s the size of a pea, but apart from that, baby Carisi was a pretty happy camper today. The girls are asleep, but they made me promise to have you look in on them when you got home.”
“Copy that.” He rubbed her belly a few more times. “Hi baby. Your mom and I can’t wait to meet you.” Unfolding his long frame, he stood up and made his way to the girls’ bedroom for the promised look-in.
Amanda watched him go. The best man she had ever known, and he was hers.
And that voice? If Amanda had learned anything in the past two years, it was that that voice did not stand a chance against Dominick Carisi Jr.