fic: no song that i could sing (ai rpf; dcook/carrie; au)
Title: No song that I could sing
Author: empressearwig
Pairing/Fandom: David Cook/Carrie Underwood; American Idol RPF
Rating: PG
Word Count: ~2100
Disclaimer: I own nothing, this is all for fun. This most definitely hasn't happened. Etc.
Summary: David and Carrie go on tour. With a baby.
Author's Notes: Written for the prompt "kidfic" for schmoop_bingo. For irishmizzy. This is set in a universe far, far away. An alternative universe, if you will. Go from there.
Anna's nine months old when the record label first brings up the idea of a tour. David says no. Carrie says maybe. David thinks she's lost her mind.
They talk about it in bed one night, after Anna finally falls asleep. They're lying on their sides, facing each other. David props his head up on his hand and asks, "Why now?"
"Why not now?" Carrie counters, mimicking him.
David frowns. He really doesn't understand why she doesn't agree with him about this. "Because... because... because she's still a baby! Do you want her taking her first steps on a tour bus?"
Carrie raises an eyebrow. "I don't know, it kind of would fit, don't you think? Lots of other good things have happened to us while we're on tour," she says meaningfully. "Don't you remember?"
He reaches out to tuck a lock of hair behind her ear and strokes her cheek. "I remember." He remembers all of it. Falling in love, being scared out of his mind that she wouldn't love him back. Finding out she did. She's right. Good things happen to them on tour.
"See?" she says. "Besides, if we don't tour now, when she's little, it's going to get so much harder. It makes sense, you know it does."
"I do, do I?" he asks, pulling her towards him. "I think you should convince me."
She wraps her arms around his neck, presses herself against him. "What did you have in mind?"
He grins. He loves his wife, really he does. "I thought we'd start with this," he says, pressing a kiss to one corner of her mouth. "Or maybe this." He kisses the other corner. "Or maybe --"
She doesn't let him finish. He's okay with that. He kisses her back, rolling her onto her back, tugging at the hem of her tank top.
"In a hurry?" she teases, even as she's trying to pull his shirt over his head. He lets her.
"Me? Never." He pushes her sleep shorts down her hips. "I'm just worried that --"
She slaps a hand over his mouth. "Don't say it," she warns. "You'll jinx --"
Too late. A cry comes through the baby monitor. They both flop back against the pillows, panting just a little. Carrie turns her head to look at him. "Your turn," she says.
He looks at her. "What? No, it's your turn."
She smiles sweetly. Too sweetly. "You're the one that jinxed it."
He heaves a sigh. "Fine," he says, swinging his legs off the bed. "You owe me."
The smile turns sultry. God, he loves his wife. "Oh, I'll be sure to pay up."
He hurries out of the room to check on his daughter. He really hopes this is going to be fast.
***
By the time the tour is organized and plans are in place, Anna's had her first birthday. Carrie cried a little. David pretended he didn't. They both know he did.
A week later, they're boarding a tour bus. Anna loves it, the constant motion and ever changing view out the windows. David hates it. It's been nearly two years since he toured, since before Anna was born, and somehow he forgot just how cramped it all is. Especially when you're tripping over baby toys every time you try to take so much as a step.
After the tenth time he steps on the bunny that squeaks, he escapes to the band's bus for a beer. He didn't expect sympathy. He just didn't expect ridicule either.
Kyle -- Kyle, of all people -- actually has the gall to say "I told you so" and Andy just laughs. Monty doesn't say a word and Neal just frowns and shakes his head at David. He's not really sure what to make of it. When he goes back to his own bus, well, his wife and daughter's bus, if he's being honest with himself, he mentions Neal's reaction to Carrie. She looks at him like he's completely stupid and passes Anna to him. "I'm going to take a nap," she says. "Make sure Anna doesn't accidentally crawl off the bus or something."
He frowns at that. So what if that almost happened one time. Accidents happen. Especially when you have a toddler that doubles as The Flash. "But --" he tries to say.
The door to their bedroom closes. David sighs and looks down at Anna. "Looks like it's just you and me, kid," he says, tickling her belly. She makes a noise that he interprets as agreement. He laughs and kisses the top of her head. He sits down on the floor, sets Anna down next to him. "Let's see how much trouble we can get into while your mama is sleeping."
He regrets those words when Carrie wakes up and finds Anna covered in his shaving cream. He starts to try to explain, but she just holds up a hand and goes to get a wash cloth to clean Anna up. He thinks he's going to have to sleep on the too small couch that night, but a particularly sappy on stage dedication manages to save the day. Of course he's just wanting for the band to extract their own form of retribution, but Carrie's scarier than all of them put together.
Even Neal agrees with that.
And besides, the "be quiet, the baby is sleeping right next to us" make-up sex was fucking fantastic. Not that he's telling the guys that. He's not that stupid. Most of the time, anyway.
***
Eventually they settle into a routine. Anna's with them all day on the bus, and he watches her while Carrie soundchecks and she watches her while he's doing the same. When it's time to actually get ready for the show, they both kiss Anna goodnight and the nanny takes over. Neither of them like handing her over, they decided long before she was born that they were going to actually be parents, but there's really no other alternative. No matter what else their little girl can sleep through, neither of them want to press their luck with trying to put her to sleep backstage at a concert.
Still, it all seems to work. David remembers why he loves doing this, playing for crowds every night. He also remembers just how hot his wife is when she's onstage. He doesn't know how he ever forgot that.
On those nights they're both glad that they nanny is along for the ride. Even if they have to put up with a lot of knowing looks and comments about if they're working on another one the next morning. It's totally worth it.
(He doesn't spend much time thinking that another baby might not be a bad idea. Not much time at all.)
Anna is easily the most popular person on the tour. All of the people in their bands, the crew, they all adopt her as a mascot. David's pretty sure that if they didn't keep their eyes on her, she could disappear for an entire day and she'd be perfectly fine. It's both comforting and a little disturbing.
One afternoon while Carrie is doing soundcheck, he asks Kyle to look after Anna for half an hour while he does a radio interview. When he comes back, Kyle is nowhere to be seen. Instead, he finds Anna fast asleep in her Pack-n-Play while Neal strums his guitar quietly. Of all the things that David has ever seen, he thinks this might be the most shocking.
Neal Tiemann, playing lullabies. And smiling. David wishes he had a camera handy.
"Hey," he says casually, tucking his hands into his pockets. "Everything okay?"
Neal freezes for a split second and then sets the guitar to the side. "Fine."
David tucks his tongue firmly in cheek. "Okay. Well, thanks for watching her. Where did Peek go?"
Neal shrugs and stands up. "No big deal." He nods his head towards the door. "I'm going to get a beer."
"Okay," David says again, moving aside so Neal can pass him. "See ya."
"Later," Neal mutters as he heads down the steps.
David laughs a little under his breath as he crosses the living area to check on Anna. He tucks her blanket around her and settles back on the couch. She has the right idea, he thinks, and decides to try to take a nap himself.
When Carrie wakes him up an hour later, Anna on her hip, he's certain it was all just a dream. He tells Carrie what happened and she just shrugs and says that it's happened a couple times before. His jaw drops. Carrie rolls her eyes and says, "It's time for dinner. Come on."
She heads for the door. He blinks at her retreating back and stands up to follow. He'll have to punish her for keeping something like that from him later.
He smiles. That should be fun.
***
They're staying in a hotel in Atlanta when they decide to take Anna swimming. Well, David decides. Carrie raises an eyebrow and says that she'll enjoy watching from the jacuzzi. But when they go down to the mostly deserted pool, she wades into the shallow end with them, just like he knew she would.
Anna looks adorable in her tiny ruffled swimming suit, brightly colored floaties that she doesn't really need since he's holding her against his chest on her arms. She splashes the water with her hands and kicks her feet. He grins. This was an excellent idea if he does say so himself.
"Here, let me take her," Carrie says, holding out her arms. He passes her the baby and stops for just a second to look at them. They look so much alike. Same eyes, same nose. Carrie swears that Anna has his mouth, but he knows she says that just to make him feel better. Anna's got this wispy blonde hair that's almost certainly going to look like her mother's when it actually grows out. He has no idea how he got so lucky.
A splash of water hits him in the face. He blinks and wipes the water from his eyes. Carrie's got a mischievous grin on her face and Anna is laughing with delight. "Did Mama put you up to that?" he asks his daughter. "Did she?"
"Mama!" Anna agrees, splashing the water again. She reaches out for him and he takes her back from Carrie.
"You're going to pay for that later, you know," he says to Carrie, who's wiping water off Anna's face so it doesn't drip into her eyes.
"We'll see," she says. "I think it's time for someone's nap."
"Aw, Mom," he groans, trying for his best little boy pout. He presses his cheek to Anna's and hopes she's looking especially cute. "Do we have to?"
Carrie starts for the steps. "See, I was thinking that while someone was taking a nap, her parents could nap. But if you're not interested..."
Swimming no longer seems quite so appealing. Later, Carrie will claim that he's never put Anna down so fast before. He doesn't tell her that he's pretty sure she's right.
***
The tour lasts for three months. The first night they're back in Nashville, Anna cries for hours. It's completely unlike her.
"Do you think she's getting a new tooth?" Carrie asks as she paces their bedroom, Anna in her arms.
"I think she misses the bus," he says, getting up from the bed to take her from Carrie. "Don't you, sweetheart? You miss being on the road?"
Anna cries harder.
Carrie collapses onto the bed. "I can't tell if that means she's agreeing with you or not."
"We could take her for a ride," he suggests. He tries giving Anna his finger to gnaw on. She doesn't want it.
Carrie shakes her head. "She needs to get used to sleeping in her crib again. We can't take her out in the car every night."
"Do you want to listen to her cry all night?"
"No," Carrie sighs. "But --"
"I know." He rocks Anna back and forth. "Want to try sleeping with your Mama and me? How about that, little girl? Want to give that a try?"
She continues to cry, but it's softer now. He takes a chance and sits down on the edge of the bed. He shifts back and lays down, settling Anna against his chest. Carrie curls herself against them, resting her head on his shoulder. He kisses the side of her head. Anna's cries shudder to a stop as she drifts off to sleep. He gives a sigh of relief and feels himself start to do the same.
It's good to be home.
Author: empressearwig
Pairing/Fandom: David Cook/Carrie Underwood; American Idol RPF
Rating: PG
Word Count: ~2100
Disclaimer: I own nothing, this is all for fun. This most definitely hasn't happened. Etc.
Summary: David and Carrie go on tour. With a baby.
Author's Notes: Written for the prompt "kidfic" for schmoop_bingo. For irishmizzy. This is set in a universe far, far away. An alternative universe, if you will. Go from there.
Anna's nine months old when the record label first brings up the idea of a tour. David says no. Carrie says maybe. David thinks she's lost her mind.
They talk about it in bed one night, after Anna finally falls asleep. They're lying on their sides, facing each other. David props his head up on his hand and asks, "Why now?"
"Why not now?" Carrie counters, mimicking him.
David frowns. He really doesn't understand why she doesn't agree with him about this. "Because... because... because she's still a baby! Do you want her taking her first steps on a tour bus?"
Carrie raises an eyebrow. "I don't know, it kind of would fit, don't you think? Lots of other good things have happened to us while we're on tour," she says meaningfully. "Don't you remember?"
He reaches out to tuck a lock of hair behind her ear and strokes her cheek. "I remember." He remembers all of it. Falling in love, being scared out of his mind that she wouldn't love him back. Finding out she did. She's right. Good things happen to them on tour.
"See?" she says. "Besides, if we don't tour now, when she's little, it's going to get so much harder. It makes sense, you know it does."
"I do, do I?" he asks, pulling her towards him. "I think you should convince me."
She wraps her arms around his neck, presses herself against him. "What did you have in mind?"
He grins. He loves his wife, really he does. "I thought we'd start with this," he says, pressing a kiss to one corner of her mouth. "Or maybe this." He kisses the other corner. "Or maybe --"
She doesn't let him finish. He's okay with that. He kisses her back, rolling her onto her back, tugging at the hem of her tank top.
"In a hurry?" she teases, even as she's trying to pull his shirt over his head. He lets her.
"Me? Never." He pushes her sleep shorts down her hips. "I'm just worried that --"
She slaps a hand over his mouth. "Don't say it," she warns. "You'll jinx --"
Too late. A cry comes through the baby monitor. They both flop back against the pillows, panting just a little. Carrie turns her head to look at him. "Your turn," she says.
He looks at her. "What? No, it's your turn."
She smiles sweetly. Too sweetly. "You're the one that jinxed it."
He heaves a sigh. "Fine," he says, swinging his legs off the bed. "You owe me."
The smile turns sultry. God, he loves his wife. "Oh, I'll be sure to pay up."
He hurries out of the room to check on his daughter. He really hopes this is going to be fast.
***
By the time the tour is organized and plans are in place, Anna's had her first birthday. Carrie cried a little. David pretended he didn't. They both know he did.
A week later, they're boarding a tour bus. Anna loves it, the constant motion and ever changing view out the windows. David hates it. It's been nearly two years since he toured, since before Anna was born, and somehow he forgot just how cramped it all is. Especially when you're tripping over baby toys every time you try to take so much as a step.
After the tenth time he steps on the bunny that squeaks, he escapes to the band's bus for a beer. He didn't expect sympathy. He just didn't expect ridicule either.
Kyle -- Kyle, of all people -- actually has the gall to say "I told you so" and Andy just laughs. Monty doesn't say a word and Neal just frowns and shakes his head at David. He's not really sure what to make of it. When he goes back to his own bus, well, his wife and daughter's bus, if he's being honest with himself, he mentions Neal's reaction to Carrie. She looks at him like he's completely stupid and passes Anna to him. "I'm going to take a nap," she says. "Make sure Anna doesn't accidentally crawl off the bus or something."
He frowns at that. So what if that almost happened one time. Accidents happen. Especially when you have a toddler that doubles as The Flash. "But --" he tries to say.
The door to their bedroom closes. David sighs and looks down at Anna. "Looks like it's just you and me, kid," he says, tickling her belly. She makes a noise that he interprets as agreement. He laughs and kisses the top of her head. He sits down on the floor, sets Anna down next to him. "Let's see how much trouble we can get into while your mama is sleeping."
He regrets those words when Carrie wakes up and finds Anna covered in his shaving cream. He starts to try to explain, but she just holds up a hand and goes to get a wash cloth to clean Anna up. He thinks he's going to have to sleep on the too small couch that night, but a particularly sappy on stage dedication manages to save the day. Of course he's just wanting for the band to extract their own form of retribution, but Carrie's scarier than all of them put together.
Even Neal agrees with that.
And besides, the "be quiet, the baby is sleeping right next to us" make-up sex was fucking fantastic. Not that he's telling the guys that. He's not that stupid. Most of the time, anyway.
***
Eventually they settle into a routine. Anna's with them all day on the bus, and he watches her while Carrie soundchecks and she watches her while he's doing the same. When it's time to actually get ready for the show, they both kiss Anna goodnight and the nanny takes over. Neither of them like handing her over, they decided long before she was born that they were going to actually be parents, but there's really no other alternative. No matter what else their little girl can sleep through, neither of them want to press their luck with trying to put her to sleep backstage at a concert.
Still, it all seems to work. David remembers why he loves doing this, playing for crowds every night. He also remembers just how hot his wife is when she's onstage. He doesn't know how he ever forgot that.
On those nights they're both glad that they nanny is along for the ride. Even if they have to put up with a lot of knowing looks and comments about if they're working on another one the next morning. It's totally worth it.
(He doesn't spend much time thinking that another baby might not be a bad idea. Not much time at all.)
Anna is easily the most popular person on the tour. All of the people in their bands, the crew, they all adopt her as a mascot. David's pretty sure that if they didn't keep their eyes on her, she could disappear for an entire day and she'd be perfectly fine. It's both comforting and a little disturbing.
One afternoon while Carrie is doing soundcheck, he asks Kyle to look after Anna for half an hour while he does a radio interview. When he comes back, Kyle is nowhere to be seen. Instead, he finds Anna fast asleep in her Pack-n-Play while Neal strums his guitar quietly. Of all the things that David has ever seen, he thinks this might be the most shocking.
Neal Tiemann, playing lullabies. And smiling. David wishes he had a camera handy.
"Hey," he says casually, tucking his hands into his pockets. "Everything okay?"
Neal freezes for a split second and then sets the guitar to the side. "Fine."
David tucks his tongue firmly in cheek. "Okay. Well, thanks for watching her. Where did Peek go?"
Neal shrugs and stands up. "No big deal." He nods his head towards the door. "I'm going to get a beer."
"Okay," David says again, moving aside so Neal can pass him. "See ya."
"Later," Neal mutters as he heads down the steps.
David laughs a little under his breath as he crosses the living area to check on Anna. He tucks her blanket around her and settles back on the couch. She has the right idea, he thinks, and decides to try to take a nap himself.
When Carrie wakes him up an hour later, Anna on her hip, he's certain it was all just a dream. He tells Carrie what happened and she just shrugs and says that it's happened a couple times before. His jaw drops. Carrie rolls her eyes and says, "It's time for dinner. Come on."
She heads for the door. He blinks at her retreating back and stands up to follow. He'll have to punish her for keeping something like that from him later.
He smiles. That should be fun.
***
They're staying in a hotel in Atlanta when they decide to take Anna swimming. Well, David decides. Carrie raises an eyebrow and says that she'll enjoy watching from the jacuzzi. But when they go down to the mostly deserted pool, she wades into the shallow end with them, just like he knew she would.
Anna looks adorable in her tiny ruffled swimming suit, brightly colored floaties that she doesn't really need since he's holding her against his chest on her arms. She splashes the water with her hands and kicks her feet. He grins. This was an excellent idea if he does say so himself.
"Here, let me take her," Carrie says, holding out her arms. He passes her the baby and stops for just a second to look at them. They look so much alike. Same eyes, same nose. Carrie swears that Anna has his mouth, but he knows she says that just to make him feel better. Anna's got this wispy blonde hair that's almost certainly going to look like her mother's when it actually grows out. He has no idea how he got so lucky.
A splash of water hits him in the face. He blinks and wipes the water from his eyes. Carrie's got a mischievous grin on her face and Anna is laughing with delight. "Did Mama put you up to that?" he asks his daughter. "Did she?"
"Mama!" Anna agrees, splashing the water again. She reaches out for him and he takes her back from Carrie.
"You're going to pay for that later, you know," he says to Carrie, who's wiping water off Anna's face so it doesn't drip into her eyes.
"We'll see," she says. "I think it's time for someone's nap."
"Aw, Mom," he groans, trying for his best little boy pout. He presses his cheek to Anna's and hopes she's looking especially cute. "Do we have to?"
Carrie starts for the steps. "See, I was thinking that while someone was taking a nap, her parents could nap. But if you're not interested..."
Swimming no longer seems quite so appealing. Later, Carrie will claim that he's never put Anna down so fast before. He doesn't tell her that he's pretty sure she's right.
***
The tour lasts for three months. The first night they're back in Nashville, Anna cries for hours. It's completely unlike her.
"Do you think she's getting a new tooth?" Carrie asks as she paces their bedroom, Anna in her arms.
"I think she misses the bus," he says, getting up from the bed to take her from Carrie. "Don't you, sweetheart? You miss being on the road?"
Anna cries harder.
Carrie collapses onto the bed. "I can't tell if that means she's agreeing with you or not."
"We could take her for a ride," he suggests. He tries giving Anna his finger to gnaw on. She doesn't want it.
Carrie shakes her head. "She needs to get used to sleeping in her crib again. We can't take her out in the car every night."
"Do you want to listen to her cry all night?"
"No," Carrie sighs. "But --"
"I know." He rocks Anna back and forth. "Want to try sleeping with your Mama and me? How about that, little girl? Want to give that a try?"
She continues to cry, but it's softer now. He takes a chance and sits down on the edge of the bed. He shifts back and lays down, settling Anna against his chest. Carrie curls herself against them, resting her head on his shoulder. He kisses the side of her head. Anna's cries shudder to a stop as she drifts off to sleep. He gives a sigh of relief and feels himself start to do the same.
It's good to be home.