CJ/Danny ficlet
In honour of our own Lara Kate. And much thanks to athena4lynn.
*
The absence of sound wakes her.
She knows she should embrace it and tries for a few minutes. But the ache is louder.
The morning is already warming up and she doesn’t bother with slippers or robe. The carpet muffles her steps, letting her enter the living room without disturbing its occupants.
Bringing her hand to her mouth, she blinks away the sudden tears. She should grab the camera, but she fears the scene will dissolve if she turns her back on it.
The couch isn’t long enough and Danny’s knees hang over the arm. CNN casts a flickering glow on his face and a pacifier lies caught in the crook of his arm. The small mound on his chest snuffles and shifts, waking him.
After determining nothing is wrong, Danny relaxes and turns his head towards the tv -- and sees her in the doorway. His smile beckons and she sinks to the floor, their lips meeting as her hand comes to rest on their daughter’s back.
“Hey,” he whispers.
“Hey yourself.” More snuffles and eyes, too big for their surrounding face, open and stare at her. For the last week she’s looked confused when she wakes. “And good morning to you, Lara Kate.”
Burying her face against her father’s chest, the baby searches for breakfast. “Hey, Kidlet, your dad’s dry,” he says, grimacing as a tiny hand tries to separate him from his chest hairs.
CJ laughs as she retrieves the child and motions for Danny to sit up. Joining him on the couch, she opens her pajama top and Lara latches onto her breast.
“I’ll go and start breakfast.”
“Wait till she’s finished.” She’s content in the moment as Danny leans against her shoulder and captures Lara’s foot.
“Look what we made,” he says, in a tone she last heard when they said their vows.
Even if she could find the words, she doesn’t think she could speak. She kisses his cheek and nestles into him.
*
The absence of sound wakes her.
She knows she should embrace it and tries for a few minutes. But the ache is louder.
The morning is already warming up and she doesn’t bother with slippers or robe. The carpet muffles her steps, letting her enter the living room without disturbing its occupants.
Bringing her hand to her mouth, she blinks away the sudden tears. She should grab the camera, but she fears the scene will dissolve if she turns her back on it.
The couch isn’t long enough and Danny’s knees hang over the arm. CNN casts a flickering glow on his face and a pacifier lies caught in the crook of his arm. The small mound on his chest snuffles and shifts, waking him.
After determining nothing is wrong, Danny relaxes and turns his head towards the tv -- and sees her in the doorway. His smile beckons and she sinks to the floor, their lips meeting as her hand comes to rest on their daughter’s back.
“Hey,” he whispers.
“Hey yourself.” More snuffles and eyes, too big for their surrounding face, open and stare at her. For the last week she’s looked confused when she wakes. “And good morning to you, Lara Kate.”
Burying her face against her father’s chest, the baby searches for breakfast. “Hey, Kidlet, your dad’s dry,” he says, grimacing as a tiny hand tries to separate him from his chest hairs.
CJ laughs as she retrieves the child and motions for Danny to sit up. Joining him on the couch, she opens her pajama top and Lara latches onto her breast.
“I’ll go and start breakfast.”
“Wait till she’s finished.” She’s content in the moment as Danny leans against her shoulder and captures Lara’s foot.
“Look what we made,” he says, in a tone she last heard when they said their vows.
Even if she could find the words, she doesn’t think she could speak. She kisses his cheek and nestles into him.