rosa was only supposed to be staying for the morning. well that was what alessia had told herself anyway.
yet three hours in, alessia was sat cross-legged on the living room floor with her ten-month-old niece balanced between her legs, watching rosa enthusiastically attempt to eat a soft toy giraffe while you laughed so hard tears had gathered in your eyes.
"roro, sweetheart, that's not food," you said through a grin. rosa instead paused with the giraffe half way to her mouth as she looked directly at you before immediately shoving the giraffe back into her mouth.
you groaned dramatically as alessia burst out laughing, "oh, she absolutely knows what she's doing."
"no she doesn't."
"she does."
"she's ten months old."
alessia pointed at rosa. "look at that face. thats the face of someone causing problems deliberately." and as if she understood every word, rosa let out a delighted squeal.
the three of you dissolved into laughter and that was the way it had been like that all afternoon.
easy. comfortable. but domestic in a way neither of you got to experience often with football constantly pulling you in different directions.
there had been bottle feeds and naps that didn't happen when they were supposed to.
there had been several dramatic tears because rosa had dropped her favourite toy and to her that was on par with the whole world ending.
there had also been countless moments where alessia had looked over at you and felt her chest ache. not in a painful way. in a way that made her wonder how she had gotten this lucky.
because every single time rosa reached for you, your whole face softened. every time she babbled nonsense at you, you answered as though she was holding a perfectly coherent conversation.
every time she smiled, you smiled right back and alessia couldn't stop watching.
at one point she'd caught rosa crawling determinedly across the rug towards you. you opened your arms immediately. "come on then." you cooed as rosa practically launched herself into your lap.
and the look on your face when you'd hugged her-
god. alessia thought she might have fallen in love with you all over again. not that she'd ever stopped. but somehow moments like this made it worse. or better. probably both.
"why are you staring at me?" you asked with a smile as the sound of your voice pulled alessia from her thoughts.
alessia blinked. "hm?"
"you're doing the thing." you pointed out as rosa stood up against you, pulling at small strands of your pony tail.
"the thing?" alessia questioned, confused at what you were trying to get at.
"the heart eyes thing." you said, not before pulling rosa's tight little grip from your hair as alessia immediately looked away her cheeks blushing a slight shade of pink.
"there it is."
"i wasn't doing anything."
"you absolutely were."
alessia rolled her eyes, yet when she glanced back over, she found you smiling at her. softly. fondly. the same way she knew she was looking at you. the warmth that settled in her chest made her feel almost dizzy.
then rosa sneezed directly into your face and the romantic moment was ruined instantly. as you sat frozen for a moment, processing what had just happened.
alessia stared, before she completely lost it. laughing so hard she nearly fell backwards. "oh my god."
"oh my god?" you looked horrified. "your niece just sneezed in my mouth."
alessia was crying with laughter now and rosa, well she looked incredibly pleased with herself.
—
by the time afternoon rolled around, rosa was becoming noticeably sleepy. she’s gone from excited crawling and babbling to rubbing her eyes every few minutes and becoming increasingly clingy.
currently she was curled against alessia’s chest whilst alessia sat on the floor leant against the couch. a pictured book rested in one hand. the other rubbing slow circles quietly in the doorway.
you stood just across the room, watching on as you made two cups of tea. the room was warm from the sunlight filtering through the windows.
everything felt peaceful and safe.
alessia’s voice had dropped to a soft murmur as she read. not because rosa understood the story. she most likely definitely didn't. but because she liked hearing alessia speak.
the little girl was completely relaxed. one tiny hand curled around alessia’s shirt. her eyes fluttering more heavily with every page.
you couldn't stop smiling. alessia looked beautiful like this. her hair slightly messy. voice gentle as she held rosa as though she was the most precious thing in the world.
your heart squeezed painfully. because this wasn't football alessia. this wasn't the alessia everyone else knew. this was your girl. your alessia.
soft, patient and incredibly loving
the woman who melted whenever she saw her niece. who ried over sentimental videos. who still reached for your hand in crowded rooms but who would also mange to trip over thin air any chance she got.
eventually rosa’s eyes drifted closed completely. alessia continued reading for another few moments just to be safe.
then carefully closed the book as the room became quiet, just the small sound of you pouring milk into the cups.
you watched her stand slowly. every movement careful and deliberate.rosa didn't stir once and she gently settled her into her bouncer tucking a small blanket around her before pressing a kiss to her forehead.
as she stepped back, moving towards you as you handed her a hot mug of tea. as you both looked at the tiny sleeping baby. the little ride and fall of her chest and how peaceful she looked.
alessia leaning lightly into you as you placed sweet kiss to the side of her head before you both moved towards the couch.
the house felt strangely quiet after rosa had fallen asleep and you both found yourselves curled together on the sofa. a blanket thrown across both your laps.
alessia leaning into your side her head resting against your chest and for a while neither of you spoke. simply enjoying the rare silence.
then alessia sighed softly. "what?" you asked as you felt her smile against your shoulder.
"nothing." she said quietly, her hand tracing over a tattoo on your wrist.
"liar." as a quiet laugh escaped her making you tilt your head towards her with a small smile, "what are you thinking about?"
you watched as alessia hesitated and you immediately became curious. because alessia russo was rarely speechless. "less?"
she looked up at you and there it was. that look. the one that always made your stomach flutter. "i really love her." she said quietly.
you smiled. "i know."
"no, i mean..." she laughed softly. "i know she's my niece so obviously i love her. but every time i spend time with her i somehow love her more."
you nodded."roro is pretty easy to love."
"she is." alessia agreed as her gaze drifted towards the ceiling, thoughtful. "i think seeing her grow up has been one of my favourite things."
your expression softened. alessia rarely talked about things like this at least not out loud or very often.
"i like watching you with her." you admitted, as you looked down at her.
her eyes found yours again. "yeah?"
you nodded. "yeah."
the smile that appeared on her face was small. shy. almost. "i like watching you with her too."
you stomach flipped. "you do?"
"course i do." alessia smiled as she reached for your hand. threading your fingers together. "and you don't even realise you do it."
"do what?" you asked as your brows furrowed together.
"the voice."
"what voice?"
"the baby voice."
you groaned immediately, now knowing exactly what she meant as she laughed, “no but it’s cute baby”
"it is not."
"it is."
"it absolutely isn't."
she was grinning now. "it really is." as you shook your head yet you were smiling too. because there was no winning these arguments. not when alessia looked at you like that. not when she seemed so happy.
a comfortable silence settled between you again. then alessia spoke.quieter this time. "do you ever think about it?"
you looked at her. "think about what?"
she swallowed and suddenly looked nervous. "having kids."
your heart skipped. not because the question scared you, the two of you had briefly mentioned it before but scared you because of how vulnerable she sounded asking it.
tou turned slightly towards her, giving her your full attention. as alessia’s eyes searched yours. as though she was trying to gauge your reaction before you'd even answered.
"yeah," you admitted softly. "i do."
something immediately relaxed in her expression. a tiny exhale escaping her.
"yeah?"
you nodded. "yeah." as smile tugged at your lips. "maybe more than i probably should."
alessia laughed quietly. "me too."
the confession hung between you. gentle as neither of you rushing the conversation. neither trying to force it into something bigger than it needed to be.
your brushed your thumb over her knuckles. "you’d be an amazing mum, you know."
the words slipped out naturally because they were true. the way alessia’s face softened nearly broke your heart.
"you think?"
you stared at her. "in every universe, less."
her eyes immediately became suspiciously bright. you leaned forward. pressing a kiss against her forehead. then another against her cheek. “you're patient."
kiss.
"kind."
kiss.
"ridiculously loving."
kiss.
"you read the same page six times because rosa kept trying to eat the book."
alessia laughed through her smile. "that did happen."
"it did." you tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "and any kid would be more than lucky to have you."
for a moment she just looked at you. completely overwhelmed. completely in love. then she reached up cupping your cheek. "i think about it with you."
your breath caught. the confession was quiet. almost whispered. but it hit harder than anything else she could have said.
"i don't just think about having kids." she said in the same quiet tone as her thumb stroked softly across your skin. "i think about having them with you and..”
you felt your eyes sting. not from sadness. from the sheer weight of being loved so completely. so intentionally.
you leaned into her touch. smiling. “and?"
alessia’s small smile returned, slow and beautiful. “and one day… not yet.” she pressed her fore against yours, before planting a kiss to your lips as you chased her lips as she pulled away. “but one day, i think we’d make a pretty good team”
you laughed softly, finding her lips again peppering a few light kisses, “we already do.”
alessia smiled, then kissed you properly. slow and sweet. as her hand rested on yours chin. the type of kiss that felt like home.
and just in the other room, rose slept peacefully through all of it. completely unaware that she'd spent an entire afternoon making two people who were already hopelessly in love somehow fall even harder.
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