"if the mockingbird don't sing"
Charlie awoke to the sounds of humming coming through the otherwise silent house. Groggily, he rubbed his eyes and glanced at the clock. It read two thirty in the morning but he knew that he should figure out what was causing the noise. Slowly, he got up and made his way toward it. Pausing at the first door to the right, he opened the door as silently as possible.
A dim light given off by a nightlight lit the room enough for Charlie to see his four year old son, Ethan Drake, sleeping soundly. His blonde hair shined in the dimness and he looked completely relaxed. Smiling to himself, Charlie shut the door quietly. The humming was louder and he vaguely recognized the tune, but he couldn't exactly place it.
The door directly across the hall was standing open so Charlie propped himself against the doorway, arms folded across his chest, watching silently. Like Ethan's room, this room was lit by a nightlight, which made it easier for Charlie to see but he still went unnoticed by the occupants.
Charlie smiled at the sight of Draco holding their two year old daughter, Alison Lenna. Draco hugged Alison to his chest, humming softly to calm her down. Every once in a while, Draco would smooth down the girl's flaming hair and place a kiss atop her head. By the looks of it, Alison had long since fallen asleep, but Draco didn't seem to notice.
Yet, Charlie wasn't going to interfere because it took a lot of patience and persuading on his part for Draco to agree to have a child, much less two. And seeing Draco care for Alison made Charlie's heart completely melt. So Charlie just stood there, watching Draco care for their daughter with a smile on his face because there was nothing that could compare to the sight.
"How long have you been there?" Draco asked, finally looking up from Alison. They both knew Draco would never admit to how much Alison had him wrapped around her little finger.
Charlie shook his head, drawing himself out of that thought. "I don't know," he replied. He wondered how he didn't realize that Alison was awake. "I didn't hear her cry," he admitted softly. Though, it's not like he would anyways; they both knew that he was a relatively hard sleeper.
Before saying anything, Draco stood and tucked Alison back into her bed and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Good night, Alison," he whispered to the girl before turning around. "You wouldn't have. She came into the bedroom," Draco informed him. "I brought her back in here and was trying to get her to sleep so I didn't wake you since you have work in a few hours." Thankfully, Draco didn't have to work tomorrow; it was his day off. That was why he didn't mind tending to Alison: it was better for him to be up all night when Charlie had work.
"What was wrong?" Charlie questioned, brushing off the fact that he did indeed have work in the morning. Alison was important and he could live without a full night of sleep – he has done it before and he could do it again if necessary.
Draco looked back at the sleeping girl. "I'm still not sure. She said she wanted to sleep in our bed, but I told her I would stay with her if she slept in her own bed."
Charlie fought the urge to roll his eyes at that comment. Charlie would have let Alison – or even Ethan – sleep in their bed if they wanted, but Draco refused. Draco believed that it taught them to be independent and brave if they stayed in their own rooms. Charlie had yet to persuade him to allow it. But that was another topic for a different day.
"Come on, my dragon. Let's go back to bed," Charlie whispered. Taking Draco's hand, Charlie led them back to their bedroom.
Before he fell asleep, Charlie pressed a kiss to Draco's lips. "I love you."
A/n – Laura, you asked for Charlie and Draco to have kids; well, here you go, darling! And yes, I realize that the names aren't constellations. I'll explain why in a different story.
Ethan Drake means "strong dragon". Alison Lenna means "noble, lion's strength".
This is written for Gamma's OTP boot camp. Word used: patience.
Thanks to kci47 for beta-ing this for me!
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