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It was much later than Chris had intended to get home. He'd had a mountain of paperwork to finish after a week long op, and though there were no casualties there had been lab containing a new version of the T-virus so he was left writing a report on everything they'd seen. There would have been less to write about if the lab was still standing, but the self-destruct procedure had been tripped as soon as a Tyrant had been set loose in the lab. Honestly, it was a miracle nobody was hurt too badly, things could have gone tits up fast. But at last, the job was done, the paperwork was completed, and Chris could come home to his husband and daughter.
The brisk air had a hint of warmth in it, spring quickly approaching. The leaves had already started to grow back on the trees in their neighborhood in DC, but the persistent chill that had been hanging around refused to relent. It made his joints ache, and he knew if he brought that up to Leon he'd tease him for getting old. As if the blonde weren't just a few years younger than him anyways.
Presently, Chris sat in his jeep, taking in the sight of his house before him. It was approaching two in the morning, and he cringed internally to think of the shit Leon was going to give him for getting home so late. Chris had called home at eight saying he was wrapping things up in the BSAA office, and then he'd been stuck for several hours after that. He just hoped Leon hadn't spent too much time waiting up for him, and that he'd actually gone to bed at a reasonable time instead of staying up to wait for Chris to come home. Neither of them were strangers to getting stuck with the bureaucracy involved with their jobs. Chris knew, however, that Leon's insomnia might have kept him up regardless, or their now one year old daughter, Jane.
Chris felt bad for leaving Leon to deal with the teething infant by himself. He knew he'd have to make it up to him somehow, most likely in the form of a nice bath or bottle of something expensive.
With a sigh, Chris turned off the jeep, the headlights switching off, plunging the front of the house into darkness. Tired feet trudged him up the steps to their home, a quaint thing with two stories and small garden, one that had long since been overrun with mint that Chris had forgotten to take care and had since grown wild. How was he supposed to know that shit would grow everywhere and choke out the rest of the herbs he was growing? Rosemary, parsley, sage, thyme, all taken over by mint. At least Claire liked baking and was eager to take it off his hand when it got too out of hand.
It was a struggle for Chris to get his fingers to work enough to get the front door unlocked, exhaustion settling deep into his bones. Eventually, the lock clicked open with a click and Chris stepped inside.
Quietly, Chris toed out of his boots and dropped his bag by the door. After hanging his jacket on its hook in the hallway, he made his way through the house, stopping when he saw the lamp in the living room was still on. Could Leon still be awake?
The sight that greeted Chris when he came into the room made his heart swell, warmth settling in his chest. Laying on the couch was his husband, fast asleep, and resting on his chest was their baby girl, dressed in a yellow onesie and draped in a pink blanket. Two of the people that meant more than anything were safe and sound right in front of him, asleep without a care in the world. Chris could hardly recall a time he'd seen his husband look so peaceful, it was comforting to see him resting with such a serene look on his face. Some haunted part of him wanted to check that he was still breathing, worried that things were too good to be true, but his fears dissipated when the man before him shifted slightly in his sleep.
Chris knew Leon would regret spending the night on the couch when he woke up in with a crick in his neck, so he took it upon himself to usher him upstairs to their bedroom. Pressing a kiss to Leon's hairline, Chris eased Jane out of his arms, taking extra care not to wake her, knowing how difficult it was to get her back to sleep once she was disturbed. Thankfully, she remained fast asleep as he carried her upstairs to the bedroom. Somehow she remained asleep even as he placed her into his crib, resting his hand on her chest for a moment and letting himself indulge in feeling the steady rise and fall of her chest. Every day he got to spend with her was a blessing, and he couldn't help but relish in the comfort he got from assuring himself that she was alive and well. He and Leon had enough nightmares to last a life time, and recently Jane had been present more often than not, haunting the both of them. Chris knew he'd need to bring it up to his therapist, but it was to be expected in his line of work that he'd worry about his family, and that those worries would find their way into his dreams.
Once Jane was securely in place in her own bed, Chris returned back downstairs, stopping at the bottom of the stairs, his husband standing before him with an unimpressed look on his face, arms crossed tightly across his chest. Chris gave him a sheepish smile, which just made Leon roll his eyes and huff an annoyed breath. A quick kiss was all it took to wipe the annoyance from Leon's face, but Chris knew Leon was still going to give him shit for being late later, once they'd both had time to sleep it off.
A gentle tug on his wrist directed Chris up the stairs and back to the bedroom, where Leon methodically helped Chris strip out of the rest of his clothes before the two crawled into bed together. Leon wasted no time in falling back asleep, tucked safely against Chris' chest, and Chris took the opportunity to just watch and observe, breathing in his husband's scent and watching the rise and fall of his chest as he slept. Maybe someday Chris could convince Leon to retire with him, to spend the rest of their days just like this.
Maybe someday soon. It'd be easier to convince him to take a break, at least, now that their little family had grown just a bit bigger. Chris fell asleep to the sound of his loved ones breathing nearby, assuring him that all was right with the world. He wouldn't trade this feeling for anything else.