[ at some point, it just becomes easier for raleigh to move in than to keep an apartment of his own nearby that he never uses. he spends his days at naomi's house, whether or not the girls are there. yancy's got school and friends and she's quickly growing up. ( she'll be fourteen in a couple of months and he can hardly believe it. fourteen. and he already knows what he's getting her for her birthday ) naomi's got her job and sometimes that takes her around the world in eighty hours, if things really push it.
raleigh? he's technically got a job with the ppdc still. it's more of a research facility now. they're taking drift and jaeger tech and turning it into medical and consumer technology. it's pretty fascinating stuff. and sometimes they want a brain to scan, and he's more than happy to play lab rat for him when they need him.
but mostly he's a stay at home dad. he goes grocery shopping, he cleans the house, he's got a spot in naomi's garage where he can tinker and build things to his heart's content. he's a pretty decent cook and tries to have dinner on the table for his girls when they get home. it's not the life he thought he would end up with. there's no real adventure or glamour. none of the adrenaline rushes he loves and still craves a little. but it's okay. hell, it's better than okay most days. he's happy, and that's something he wasn't for a very long time.
the house is his for the night tonight. at least, it is until naomi's flight gets in and she makes her way home. normally, he'd go and pick her up at the airport. but yancy's at a sleepover and in case things go horribly wrong like he's thinking they might ( some of her middle school friends are looking like they're the type that's going to change the second they get into high school. and not for the better. ) he wants to be around with the car so he can go and pick her up. so his phone's by his head, and there's a hockey game on tv, and raleigh is... half-asleep, sprawled out over the couch, his hand still in the half-empty bowl of popcorn resting on the floor. ]
[ she comes home and finds him on her couch, leans against the doorway to the den and just... smiles. in sleep raleigh looks younger, the cares chased away by peace and the lack of dreams. it's not always the case, because sometimes she wakes up in the middle of the night because a nightmare has him held fast and the raggedness of his breathing puts her on edge. on those nights she curls up at his side, her mouth pressed to the underside of his ear as she holds on because it is all she can do when she feels powerless to draw him back, to remind him raleigh, it's okay, you're safe, you're here with me.
but here, like this, she just watches the rise and fall of his chest to the sound of a goal scored, commentators remarking on the pass, the assist, the execution of the play.
she crosses over to him a short while after, carefully reaches down to lift his hand from the bowl of popcorn still sitting on the floor. ]
[ he falls out of his doze with a soft noise when she moves his hand. blearily, he blinks and stares at her confusedly for a moment until it clicks. naomi's home. he must've fallen asleep on the couch. ... wow, when was the last time that happened? ]
Mmmnh, hey babe. [ he sits up and rubs at his eyes with the hand that isn't covered in popcorn butter. ] How was your flight?
[ she sets the bowl on the coffee table, curls a hand over each of his knees and gives him a gentle peck on the cheek. ] Long, but otherwise okay. [ she straightens, and shrugs tiredly. ] The First Lady is a hockey fan, did you know?
[ she's doing a piece on the first family, so sometimes she gets a call asking if she's free to join the president or his wife and their kids on air force one. ]
I had no idea. [ some days, he's not really sure he remembers who's president or if he's still a term behind. but that's okay, he's got naomi to remind him of this stuff.
raleigh stands, leaning over to give naomi a quick kiss before walking into the kitchen to wash off his hands. it's hard to give her a proper welcome home if he's covered in popcorn butter. ]
[ she follows him to the kitchen and maybe scopes out his butt. because she really loves the way those jeans fit.
naomi makes a beeline for the fridge while he's occupied at the sink, and pulls out an unopened bottle of iced tea. ] She wouldn't say. Said if it leaked then it wouldn't be fair to the other teams. She had a line, [ she uncaps the drink and takes a sip, one hand light on her quirked hip as she files through the notes in her brain-- ] --oh yeah, "It'd be like asking me which one of my children was my favorite."
[ raleigh snorts, partially derisive and partially amused. ] That's such a cop-out answer.
[ but he's got more important things to think about than the first lady's inability to root for one sports team. like the way naomi's pants fit on her hips that are cocked just so. like the way his his fit on her waist and his lips slant across hers in a heated kiss.
and the way that might not be a good idea since he probably still tastes a little like popcorn. ]
[ she's not complaining. she loves popcorn. and butter. and the taste of raleigh in her mouth, whoa, where is the table ] Babe [ the hitch in her breath because argh his clever mouth ] Rals, let me just [ okay, bottle to counter, her hands are now free to curl into his hair and she slumps back a little against the fridge. ] Sometimes, I hate you [ no, not really. never. never ever. ]
[ a low laugh tumbles out of his chest as he gently nips at naomi's lower lip. ] No, you don't. [ he presses against her a little as he kisses her again. ] You love me. [ and again. ] Even when I'm annoying you. [ his thumbs move in circles over her hipbones as he slips his tongue into her mouth just to so he can frustrate her a little more. ]
[ she loves the way his laughter actually reverberates against her chest as he presses her back into the fridge. ] You are such a jerk someti-- [ cut off as his tongue teases her mouth, his hands on her hips.
why the hell did she back into the fridge, the damn thing isn't sturdy enough. she tugs his head back, fingers still fisted against his scalp. ] Want to annoy me against a wall instead? [ she murmurs against his mouth, her eyes looking up into his. ]
i am a horrible person but i couldn't resist the idea once i had it
[ a pleased look slowly spreads across his face. this right here is why naomi is his favorite person. ( okay, there are more reasons, but the fact that she says things like that and plays along when he gets in a mood are pretty up there too. ) he presses another quick kiss to her lips before backing up and tugging her along with him. ]
Always.
[ and then, just as he's about to press her into a wall and continue what they started...
the phone rings.
raleigh drops his head down onto naomi's shoulder and lets out a frustrated noise. ] Really? Now, of all times?
[ the phone rings and it's... it's terrible. the world has terrible timing. and she can't help but laugh at the frustrated look on raleigh's face.
she let's the phone ring, presses a kiss to his ear to murmur i'll get it and ducks under his arm to cross the room and pick up the receiver. ] Hello? [ empty air. silence. she frowns. ] Hello? [ she tosses a look raleigh's way and shrugs. ] Sorry, whoever this is, I can't hear you, you might have to ca-- [ click.
naomi looks down at the phone. stares at it for a good long while, before she shuts her eyes and pushes down the feeling that's making her breathe too fast, long resolved memories. ]
[ carefully, gently, raleigh slides his arms around naomi from the back and rests his chin on her shoulder. the mood has been completely and thoroughly destroyed, and it's not just the phone's fault.
the fact that naomi still has trouble with the aftermath of her kidnapping after all this time is completely understandable. and it makes raleigh's heart hurt a little. so he kisses her on the temple and murmurs in her ear, ] Wanna go to bed and cuddle until we have to pick Yancy up tomorrow morning?
[ she curls into him because it's easy to do that, because raleigh is the steadiest thing in her life barring her daughter and when he holds her like this, he makes everything okay. ]
Yeah. [ her voice is soft and she doesn't want to look at the phone, and really, cuddling is her favorite thing to do with him. ]
[ the phone rings and it's... it's terrible. the world has terrible timing. and she can't help but laugh at the frustrated look on raleigh's face.
she let's the phone ring, presses a kiss to his ear to murmur i'll get it and ducks under his arm to cross the room and pick up the receiver. ] Hello? [ empty air. silence. she frowns. ] Hello? [ she tosses a look raleigh's way and shrugs. ] Sorry, whoever this is, I can't hear you, you might have to ca-- [ Is this Raleigh Becket's house?
she freezes and all but feels the blood drain from her face because she recognizes that voice. but it makes no sense. it can't be so takes a breath. ] Yeah, he's right here. Who is this?
[ well. naomi abruptly going pale like that can never be a good thing. so it's with a concerned and confused expression on his face that raleigh walks over to her and wraps his arms around her waist. ]
[ she's not sure what she heard, and it doesn't make sense but the voice had been so familiar - the voice had sounded like yancy, and she knows what he sounds like because raleigh had taken her to dr. caitlin lightcap to deal with the gaps in her memory and then they'd shared the drift. ]
I don't know, [ she murmurs softly, not exactly a lie - not the truth either ] It was someone. And then he asked for you, but when I said that you were here, he hung up.
That's weird. Maybe it was a crank call or a fan or something.
[ they've been lucky in that their house and personal info has mostly stayed off the radar of the general public. raleigh's a world-renown hero, as much as he hates it, and it's a little surprising they haven't gotten fan phone calls or emails before now. ]
If it's important, they'll call back, [ he says quietly as he kisses at the side of her neck. ]
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raleigh? he's technically got a job with the ppdc still. it's more of a research facility now. they're taking drift and jaeger tech and turning it into medical and consumer technology. it's pretty fascinating stuff. and sometimes they want a brain to scan, and he's more than happy to play lab rat for him when they need him.
but mostly he's a stay at home dad. he goes grocery shopping, he cleans the house, he's got a spot in naomi's garage where he can tinker and build things to his heart's content. he's a pretty decent cook and tries to have dinner on the table for his girls when they get home. it's not the life he thought he would end up with. there's no real adventure or glamour. none of the adrenaline rushes he loves and still craves a little. but it's okay. hell, it's better than okay most days. he's happy, and that's something he wasn't for a very long time.
the house is his for the night tonight. at least, it is until naomi's flight gets in and she makes her way home. normally, he'd go and pick her up at the airport. but yancy's at a sleepover and in case things go horribly wrong like he's thinking they might ( some of her middle school friends are looking like they're the type that's going to change the second they get into high school. and not for the better. ) he wants to be around with the car so he can go and pick her up. so his phone's by his head, and there's a hockey game on tv, and raleigh is... half-asleep, sprawled out over the couch, his hand still in the half-empty bowl of popcorn resting on the floor. ]
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but here, like this, she just watches the rise and fall of his chest to the sound of a goal scored, commentators remarking on the pass, the assist, the execution of the play.
she crosses over to him a short while after, carefully reaches down to lift his hand from the bowl of popcorn still sitting on the floor. ]
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Mmmnh, hey babe. [ he sits up and rubs at his eyes with the hand that isn't covered in popcorn butter. ] How was your flight?
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[ she's doing a piece on the first family, so sometimes she gets a call asking if she's free to join the president or his wife and their kids on air force one. ]
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raleigh stands, leaning over to give naomi a quick kiss before walking into the kitchen to wash off his hands. it's hard to give her a proper welcome home if he's covered in popcorn butter. ]
What team does she root for?
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naomi makes a beeline for the fridge while he's occupied at the sink, and pulls out an unopened bottle of iced tea. ] She wouldn't say. Said if it leaked then it wouldn't be fair to the other teams. She had a line, [ she uncaps the drink and takes a sip, one hand light on her quirked hip as she files through the notes in her brain-- ] --oh yeah, "It'd be like asking me which one of my children was my favorite."
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[ but he's got more important things to think about than the first lady's inability to root for one sports team. like the way naomi's pants fit on her hips that are cocked just so. like the way his his fit on her waist and his lips slant across hers in a heated kiss.
and the way that might not be a good idea since he probably still tastes a little like popcorn. ]
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why the hell did she back into the fridge, the damn thing isn't sturdy enough. she tugs his head back, fingers still fisted against his scalp. ] Want to annoy me against a wall instead? [ she murmurs against his mouth, her eyes looking up into his. ]
i am a horrible person but i couldn't resist the idea once i had it
Always.
[ and then, just as he's about to press her into a wall and continue what they started...
the phone rings.
raleigh drops his head down onto naomi's shoulder and lets out a frustrated noise. ] Really? Now, of all times?
option A
she let's the phone ring, presses a kiss to his ear to murmur i'll get it and ducks under his arm to cross the room and pick up the receiver. ] Hello? [ empty air. silence. she frowns. ] Hello? [ she tosses a look raleigh's way and shrugs. ] Sorry, whoever this is, I can't hear you, you might have to ca-- [ click.
naomi looks down at the phone. stares at it for a good long while, before she shuts her eyes and pushes down the feeling that's making her breathe too fast, long resolved memories. ]
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the fact that naomi still has trouble with the aftermath of her kidnapping after all this time is completely understandable. and it makes raleigh's heart hurt a little. so he kisses her on the temple and murmurs in her ear, ] Wanna go to bed and cuddle until we have to pick Yancy up tomorrow morning?
sorry short tag :c
Yeah. [ her voice is soft and she doesn't want to look at the phone, and really, cuddling is her favorite thing to do with him. ]
option B (because mel put it in my head wtf)
she let's the phone ring, presses a kiss to his ear to murmur i'll get it and ducks under his arm to cross the room and pick up the receiver. ] Hello? [ empty air. silence. she frowns. ] Hello? [ she tosses a look raleigh's way and shrugs. ] Sorry, whoever this is, I can't hear you, you might have to ca-- [ Is this Raleigh Becket's house?
she freezes and all but feels the blood drain from her face because she recognizes that voice. but it makes no sense. it can't be so takes a breath. ] Yeah, he's right here. Who is this?
[ click. ]
lkjasf short tag is short
Who was it? Did they just hang up?
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I don't know, [ she murmurs softly, not exactly a lie - not the truth either ] It was someone. And then he asked for you, but when I said that you were here, he hung up.
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[ they've been lucky in that their house and personal info has mostly stayed off the radar of the general public. raleigh's a world-renown hero, as much as he hates it, and it's a little surprising they haven't gotten fan phone calls or emails before now. ]
If it's important, they'll call back, [ he says quietly as he kisses at the side of her neck. ]