Work Text:
Maya woke up to a tiny pair of hands patting her arm. Slowly opening her eyes she grinned, seeing Mateo's fluffy hair going in every direction and a tired expression on his face. "Hi bubba," she said, holding her arms out for him.
"I wake up Mommy."
"Uh-huh," she lifted him onto her stomach, "did you sleep well?" She stroked his hair.
"Sì."
"Amazing! Me too."
"Mommy?"
"Buddy?" She mimicked his tone.
"Where's Mamma?"
"At work dude."
"Aw."
"I know bub," she kissed his cheek, "I miss her too. But you'll see her tonight and I'll see her tomorrow."
"I don't wanna go to asilo nido Mommy," he whined trying his best to fold his arms but getting stuck.
Maya chuckled and fixed his arms for him as she said, "you won't be there very long tato, I'm gonna drop you off and then as soon as Mamma is finished she'll pick you right back up."
"I'm hungry."
"Hmm," Maya lifted him up and put his tummy to her ear earning a giggle, "are you sure I can't here anyth- oh wait," she pulled back to look at him and then put her ear back to his tummy, "I think it's telling me to make pancakes for breakfast?"
"Its not," he giggled as Maya blew a raspberry into his stomach.
"It is, it's said I'm Mateo's belly and I want pancakes for breakfast."
"What does your tummy say Mommy?" He asked, wriggling out of her grip.
"I don't know."
He pulled up her top and pressed his ear to it, "woah, it's loud! Not as loud as Mamma's though."
"What's it saying?"
"Blubble-guggle-bugble."
Maya laughed loudly, "I think that means it wants pancakes too, so should we do that?"
"Can we take Mamma some?" Mateo asked, riding on Maya's back down the stairs, which was something only to be done when Mamma wasn't there. Carina was not a fan of Maya carrying him downstairs for fear of them both falling.
"To work?"
"Yeah."
"Mmm, no but-"
"Why-"
"But we can save her some?"
"Yay!"
"Oh-kay chef Mateo DeLuca-Bishop, what ingredients do we need," she placed him down onto the little toddler tower she had made him for his first birthday which was safer than him standing on a chair. It was a little wooden platform that raised him up so he could reach the counter and had a barrier around it to stop him falling backwards and a couple of little steps so he could climb up and down.
"En Italiano Mommy, so you learn."
"Okay."
"uova."
"Eggs?"
"Sì, Latte e farina."
"Milk and," she paused thinking, "flour?"
"Sì Mommy!"
"Anything else?"
"I don't know, do you do uh zucchero?"
"A little, I think that's everything bub, let's," she kissed one of his cheeks, "get," she kissed the other, "cooking!"
"I'm bored, I want Mamma."
"You're a really Mamma's boy today, but I mean so am I," Maya said, scooping her son up into her lap, "I love Mamma so much." She had been resting as Mateo had some quiet time, trying to conserve energy for her night shift. Which was always difficult with a three year old who had phased his naps out aged two. Mateo was cursed with Maya's ability to wake up early with bounds of energy.
"And me?"
"And I love you so much too."
"And me love Mamma and also you."
"Good, fantastic, amazing! So what will we do, hmm?" Convincing him to watch a film would be good but by the way he was wiggling in her lap she thought it was not something that would go down well yet. Maybe if she suggested it after lunch, when he usually had a bit of a crash he may agree.
"Mommy, it's raining."
"I know, too hard to go to the park," it was an absolutely horrible seattle winter day.
"What do we do?"
"Oh I have an idea." Maya said and popped him on the floor standing up with him, "we have to get in the car."
"Mommy, I'm not dressed."
"Whoops," he was indeed still in syrup and flour covered pyjamas. She shooed him up the stairs and encouraged him to try and get dressed on his own, as she got changed.
"Mommy, you has boobies."
"I do," Mateo had bounced in as she was pulling on her bra.
"Mommy."
"Potato."
"I don't have boobies."
"No, you don't."
"Where are we going?"
"Nowhere if you don't get dressed, have you picked out your clothes?" She asked, pulling on a jumper, realising it was Carina's once it was on, a little more form fitting than she would have liked but it would do. Plus it had the added bonus of smelling like her.
"Yep," he tugged on her finger, pulling him down the hall to his room.
"Oh wow, your suit from Tia's wedding? Okay," Maya chuckled, helping him get dressed down to tieing the tiny bow tie, "very smart just to sit in the car," Maya kissed the top of his head and he wrapped his arms around her neck, clinging like a baby orangutan as she carried him downstairs and out to the car, with no shoes on. She ran back for some and then buckled him in.
"Mommy, play the Foos."
Never one to argue with a good music request she set the ultimate foo fighter playlist going and soon Mateo was rocking out as they drove to their destination. Any typical parent would take their child to the library, museum or aquarium on a rainy day but Maya was far from typical. She had seen a video recently of a three year old experiencing an automated carwash for the first time and had got it stuck in her head that she wanted to see Mateo's reaction.
So, at 10 am on a random, rainy, Thursday she could be seen paying almost $10 for a trip through an automated car wash.
"Mommy, I'm bored." Maya could see this becoming Mateo's catchphrase ever since he had come back from nursery knowing about it.
"Just wait," Maya said, driving into the darkened building. She had driven almost 30 minutes out of the way to this car wash for one reason... disco lights. She cranked up the music, which was now party music that matched the occasion and turned around in her seat to watch Mateo's reaction. He had a very intrigued look on his face as the lights started and looked up through the sun roof as soapy water was sprayed over the car. Then came the bit Maya had been looking forward to. The scrubbers.
Granted her history with scrubbers had been less than ideal, her ribs still hurt from getting tangled in one, but this bit had her excited.
Well until Mateo's face froze with horror and he screamed bursting into tears. "Its okay," Maya squeezed his hand, "its just cleaning the c-" she stopped as he started histerically laughing, wiping his tears.
"Mommy," he giggled, pointing at the scrubbers coming over the skylight window her jeep had. He was laughing so hard Maya thought he might be sick. Granted she was laughing too, this was better than any reaction she could have expected.
Better than any attraction she could have taken him too. He was properly belly laughing. She hadn't heard him laugh like this ever.
As it ended and the lights came on his laughter slowed and Maya saw his face dissolve in the mirror as she drove forward. "What's wrong bub," there were big fat tears rolling down his cheek as she pulled up and turned around.
"Its over."
Needless to say, Maya spent thirty dollars that day on cleaning the car. And had built a core memory for Mateo in the process. All that laughing had tired him out and he was starting to doze as she pulled up to their house. This would be tricky, her pocket-rocket was not easily transfered into the house. He usually woke up chock full of energy from a five minute nap. It would require stealth and take ten minutes and every soothing technique they had ever used.
First there was unstrapping the straps. Easy enough. Removing his arms, a lot harder. She rubbed his belly, which was how Carina had settled him since he was born and waited for his little head to drop even more. She swiftly removed his arms and went back to belly rubs and forehead strokes, relieved when he let out a little snore. At this point it was best to just go for it. She scooped him up, rubbing his back now, as she bumped the car shut with her him and shielded him from the rain. Making it upstairs was a no go, even getting from under him would be a no go, as he clung to her so she lay herself down on the sofa and pulled a blanket over them, taking the opportunity to nap herself.
Something about Mateo cuddling her always allowed her to nap, he nuzzled in a little more, sucking his thumb, as Maya closed her own eyes and leaned into the perma-tiredness that was always there now she was a parent.
"Hi you," Maya said leaning on the door to Carina's office, Mateo dropped off for his short stint at preschool happy because his little friends were still there.
"Maya!" Carina grinned taking off her glasses.
"Sprog is at daycare, here," she put the coffee cup down on a side table, "is a coffee."
"Come in, can you come in? Have you got time?" She looked at her watch as she stood up.
"I've got time," Maya opened her arms, knowing Carina wanted a hug. She shut the door behind Maya as she melted into the hug, inhaling deeply.
"This is my top."
"I know, me and Tates got ready in a hurry, he's dressed in his suit."
"In his suit?" Carina asked, looking down at Maya who nodded.
"He wanted to wear it, who was I to stop him. There's leftover dinner in the fridge, he's eaten."
"You're an angel, Maya Bishop."
"I don't like this shift."
"I know, but tomorrow night I'll be with you and then we have matching days off and Uncle Ben and Aunt Miranda have offered to have him for a few hours."
"Stay safe."
"Always."
"Ask for desk duty."
Maya chuckled and kissed the top of her head, "I love you, ask Mateo about the car wash, see you tomorrow, mwah mwah mwah," she blew kisses, walking out of the office backwards, leaving Carina sufficiently confused but smiling all the same.