Disclaimer: it's not mine … I wish it was, but it isn't
She's singing again. Her voice is low enough so that he can't make out the words, although he knows it's a song she sings often. He watches her as she does this, noting how she is completely unaware of anything around her. She bounces on the balls of her feet lightly to a beat only she can hear much to the delight of the little girl in her arms. The child looks like her, so of course the child has him wrapped around her little finger just as well as she does, but he suspects she would have anyway. Neither of them knows that he's there; he's not due back for another couple of days and wants to surprise them. The little girl starts singing too, her voice just as sweet, and the little brown dog that had been quietly watching joins in, causing them to giggle lightly. She is just as much his after all. Both of them stop and the child nuzzles her cheek, "when Dada come home?" she asks tilting her head slightly.
She sighs lightly, "soon sweetie, soon." He decides then to let them know that he's back and moves silently behind her gesturing for the child to stay silent, which, amazingly enough, she does, her eyes lighting up.
"Maybe sooner than you think." He whispers in her ear, kissing the shell lightly and chuckling when she jumps. She aims a half-hearted slap at his head as he takes his daughter who wriggling like mad to get to him. She watches him as he listens to their child telling him everything that's happened since he left for the mission. He has a small smile on his face as she tells him about Hana's dog having puppies and how she had been to see them. "Do you know what I think?" he asks when she finishes. She shakes her head and he continues. "I think its past your bedtime." He whispers and smirks when she yawns, insisting that she's not tired and that going to bed is a silly idea anyway. "But everyone else is going to bed so you'll have no one to play with." He tells her watching her think about it.
"Okay then Daddy," she says slumping against him as she lets tiredness take her over. She goes to take her form him to put her to bed but he shakes his head.
"Let me do it," he tells her and she nods. He takes her to her room and quickly dresses her for bed. When she's under the covers he kisses her forehead, as he always does, and whispers goodnight as her eyes shut, the little brown dog curled up by her feet. When he comes back out of the room he finds her in the kitchen tidying up some things. He wraps his arms around her waist and buries his face into the crook of her neck inhaling her scent.
"Did she settle alright?" she asks leaning into him and bringing up a hand to rub small circles on the back of his neck. She feels him nod and she smiles, "good, she gets fussy when your not here." She tells him. Her smile gets wider as she feels him press soft kisses along her neck his teeth grazing the skin. She turns in his arms, "love you," she whispers before kissing him.
He smiles into the kiss and tangles a hand in her hair, "love you too."
Yeah, this is home.