carisi-dreams:

@paradise-svu requested: “Can I hold him/her?” + nearlycanon!Nick please? 😊 -❄️🌹

“Just you and me, kiddo,” you said lowly to Elijah.

It was three in the morning and you had just finished nursing him. Nick had gotten home late from work the previous day so you’d jumped up as soon as you heard the crackle over the baby monitor. Motherhood was making you a much lighter sleeper and other than Elijah needing to be fed every several hours, he was otherwise a very calm and happy baby.

You ran your index finger from his forehead down to his nose slowly and stared down into his face. He licked his lips sleepily in a telltale sign that he was nearly asleep again, although he kept trying to blink his eyes open in a valiant effort to stay awake.

“Give into it, kid. Sleep is fun. Sleep is good. Sleep means mommy doesn’t forget to put dishwashing soap in the dishwasher before she runs it…And that my outfits coordinate,” you continued to speak to Elijah in a low, soothing tone. With every pass of your finger you felt him sink more and more into sleep. “Sleep means that mommy moisturizes her skin and has the energy to also have some down time with your papa. You wouldn’t know it from looking at me, but I was once a very well put together lady.” Elijah smacked his lips together again and you smiled down at him and sunk down further into the couch.

The apartment was nearly still, with only the thrum of the window air conditioner working in the background. Once upon a time you liked three in the morning and you recalled road trips with Nick where he had woken you up during times like this before the sun was even up. You’d always resist waking up, but there was something precious, like a shared secret, that came with having the time together where everyone else was asleep. These were the holy hours.

You heard the gentle slap of footsteps on the wood floor from behind you, but made no move to turn. There was security in knowing that the only other person who would be awake at this hour was the person you trusted implicitly with everything important in your shared apartment. He was safety and security and love wrapped in gentle touches and confident hands.

“Can I hold him?” Nick rasped from behind you. He cleared his throat and you finally turned to take him in.

He was clothed in only a skintight pair of black boxer briefs and even extreme sleep deprivation didn’t keep you from enjoying the view as he scratched at his stomach absently. You saw the moment he caught your appreciative staring—his gaze going from slightly bleary to liquid hot before cooling again–always reactive to your affections. Nick quirked up a side of his mouth in a small smirk before stepping over your legs where they were propped up on the coffee table and sitting down carefully next to you on the couch. He reached for Elijah and you handed him over slowly. You watched as he immediately gravitated towards Nick’s warm, bare skin and snuggled in before letting his eyes finally close.

“You have the magic touch, daddy,” you complimented in a whisper with a tired smile.

Nick leaned over, being careful not to crush Elijah, and pressed a kiss to your mouth. “I’ve got the touch, but you are the magic.”

My heart is full.