Thanks to @thatesqcrush for tagging me! And to @sass-and-suspenders for being my 5 minutes drabble writing buddy! 💕
Rules:
Write for 5 minutes only
No re-reading
No editing
Tag ten writers (Not gonna tag writers so whoever is interested in the challenge, please join in! The more, the merrier!
Rafael Barba x Reader from my Hostage Series (I may make this into a fic)
You walked out of the laundry room and into the living room, balancing a hamper of clean clothes on your hip. “What is this?” you exclaimed when you saw Mila and the twins watching a particularly gruesome Dateline episode on the television.
You set the laundry down and turned off the tv only to receive a groan of protest from Mila. “But Mommy, it was just getting good!”
“Sorry, mi amor. No crime shows until you’re in high school at least. Now how about we go into the kitchen and get a snack.” The children cheered and ran into the kitchen when there was a knock on the door.
You opened the door to see Sonny standing on your stoop with several jars of his mom’s homemade marinara. “Hiya! Ma wanted me to bring this over.”
“Uncle Sonny!” the children screamed and ran to him.
You closed the door and smiled, watching Sonny balance a twin in each arm while Mila climbed on his leg. “Thanks Sonny and thank your mom too. You hungry? We were just about to have a snack.”
“Starvin,” he said and followed you into the kitchen with the children. You reached into the fridge and grabbed sticks of string cheese and sliced fruit. Mila ripped open the plastic and was about to bite straight into the cheese when Sonny stopped her. “Only animals and deranged psychopaths bite into their string cheese. Here let Uncle Sonny show ya’ how it’s done.”
Mila, Rory, and Ben observed Sonny as he demonstrated the proper way to eat string cheese, pulling off one piece at a time.
While the kids were practicing on their cheese, Rafael came in. “Great! Snack time.” He grabbed a string cheese, tore open the packet, and bit right into the stick. The snack disappeared in 3 bites.
The children stared at their father in shock and horror. Sonny sighed and shook his head disapprovingly while you bursted into a fit of giggles. Poor Rafael furrowed his brow in confusion. “What? Did I do something wrong?”
A little holiday story featuring my Barba family for @thefanficfaerie‘s Christmas OTP challenge. There’s domestic fluffiness mixed with a hint of smut. ❤️
Prompt 16: Santa
Slightly NSFW (Santa kink, anyone??)
Rafael finished wiping down the counters after dinner when something odd struck him. It was quiet—too quiet. You offered to host the SVU holiday party and were currently out shopping with Liv, leaving Rafael alone with a five year old and two toddlers. Creeping into the living room where his children were, he expected total chaos, but instead was greeted with a picture perfect moment.
There was Mila sitting in front of the fireplace flanked by her two siblings while she showed them her pop-up book of The Night Before Christmas. “On Christmas Eve, Santa Claus comes down the chimney and then he leaves you presents under the tree,” she explained, pointing to the fat, jolly man dressed in red. “But if you’re bad, then you get coal.”
“No one is going to get coal this year,” Rafael said. “Santa just texted me and he said you all have been very good.”
Mila gasped and looked up at her father in awe. “Papi, you know Santa!”
“Of course I do,” he replied and picked up Rory and Ben, kissing them both on the cheek. “Ok, my little reindeer. Bath and bedtime."
Ben giggled and pointed to Rafael. “Santa!”
Rafael shook his head. “No, I’m not Santa. I’m Papi.”
“No, you Santa,” Ben replied.
“Santa!” Rory chimed in, grabbing at her father’s beard.
Rafael let out an exasperated sigh. Ever since he had decided to grow a beard that winter, the twins had taken to calling him Santa. It was beginning to get old. He walked up the stairs, balancing the twins in his arms with Mila following close behind.
“Papi, is Santa going to be at the Christmas party?” Mila asked while Rafael was wrangling Rory and Ben into the bathtub.
“Maybe, but remember muñequita, Santa is very busy this time of year. He may not be able to make it,” Rafael replied. Just then Rory escaped from the bathtub and ran down the hall, screaming and leaving a soapy trail.
“Oh God, we have a runaway. Rory, come back!” Rafael got up and chased after the naked toddler.
Mila grabbed the rubber ducky from the sink and handed it to her little brother. “Looks like someone is getting coal in their stocking,” she said in a sing-song voice, making Ben laugh.
*****
Rafael was utterly exhausted by the time you came home. After getting Rory back in the tub, Ben decided to make a run for it, escaping down the hallway. Once the twins were finally bathed and put to bed, Rafael then had to negotiate bedtime with Mila. He sang. He danced. He read stories. He was beginning to feel like a one man show on Broadway.
Staring at his reflection in the bathroom mirror, Rafael tilted his head from side to side, noticing the grey that streaked his hair and beard before looking down at his soft belly. No wonder the twins kept calling him Santa.
With a sigh, he shut off the bathroom lights and walked into the bedroom where you were waiting. Taking one look at your poor husband, you held out your arms to him. Rafael collapsed onto the bed and into your warm embrace.
“Rough night?” You asked.
“Mmhmm.” He nodded, his head practically buried in your chest.
You softly laughed, having experienced bedtime with Mila and the twins when Rafael was working late. “Thanks for watching them. I really appreciate it. There was no way I could’ve gone shopping with those three running around the store.”
“Anytime,” Rafael replied, his voice muffled against your skin.
You ran your fingers through his hair, massaging his scalp. A groan escaped Rafael’s lips as his body began to relax. He nuzzled against your chest making you giggle and squirm. “Your beard tickles.”
Rafael raised his head and saw the red mark he had made on your sensitive skin. “Sorry,” he sheepishly said.
“Don’t be. I love it,” you purred.
“You do?”
You smirked and stroked his scuff. “You look so sexy with a beard. It drives me crazy.”
Rafael wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. “Good to know,” he whispered and pushed up your flimsy silk nightgown, exposing more of your bare flesh. He lay open-mouth kisses on your stomach, dragging his tongue across your skin while spreading your thighs with his large hands.
You bit back a moan and tried to focus, knowing that if he kept this up you would forget all about what you had planned to ask him all evening. “So Liv and I were talking,” you abruptly said.
“Uh-oh, never a good sign,” Rafael murmured against you.
“And we were thinking what if you dressed up as Santa for the holiday party?”
Rafael stopped and met your gaze. “Santa? Really? I don’t know,” he groaned. “The squad would never let me live it down. I already dress up for Halloween, now I gotta be Santa too?”
“Everyone would love it! Besides don’t pretend you don’t love dressing up for Halloween every year.” You sat up and playfully narrowed your eyes. “I see how excited you get when we pick our family costumes.”
You had him there. Over the years, Rafael had grown to love Halloween. Being married to you, it was hard not to be. This past Halloween you were characters from Alice in Wonderland. You dressed up as the Red Queen. Rafael was the White Rabbit. Mila was Alice, and Rory and Ben were Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum. It was becoming a sweet family tradition.
“Fine, I’ll think about it,” he said and gently pushed you back down onto the bed before going back to his previous task of leaving a trail of kisses down your body.
“Liv and I found a really nice Santa suit,” you said.
“Mmmhmm,” Rafael mumbled while nibbling on your inner thigh. You gasped and arched your hips towards him.
Rafael was playing dirty, trying to distract you from your mission. But your husband underestimated you. You were determined to get him to play Santa. “The guy at the store is keeping it on hold for us. I have to let him know tomorrow if we’re going to take it,” you continued. “We thought you could dress up and pass out treats to the kids.”
Rafael huffed out a breath. “Mi amor, can we talk about this later. I’m a little preoccupied at the moment,” he said, gesturing to your open legs.
“I just think it would add such a great touch to our party and the kids are so excited for Santa this year. Mila even made him an invitation.” You scrambled out from under Rafael and grabbed Mila’s invitation from the top of the dresser, handing it over to him.
The invitation was a picture Mila had drawn of herself and the twins with Santa. The little five year old even signed her name along with a few scribbles in red and green crayon which he suspected were Rory and Ben’s signatures. The drawing tugged at his heart strings. He felt like the Grinch whose heart grew three sizes. If he could be a Lewis Carroll character for his family, he could certainly be good ol’ Saint Nick.
“You promise it’s not some cheesy polyester suit?” Rafael asked.
“Actually I think it’s a cotton-poly blend. A light breathable fabric.”
Rafael gave you a warning look. “Y/N.”
“I’m just kidding. It’s a nice suit. Way better than any Santa costume you’d find at the mall.”
“Alright,” he conceded and set Mila’s invitation on the nightstand. “I’ll be Santa.”
You squealed with excitement and wrapped your arms around Rafael. “You are the most incredible husband and father. Have I ever told you that?”
“You have, but it doesn’t hurt to say it again,” he teased and planted a searing hot kiss to your lips. “Now that we got all that sorted,” he purred, kissing down the gentle slope of your neck. “May I please—” His mouth moved lower, kissing the swells of your breasts. “Continue what I was doing earlier.” He pulled your nightgown off and kissed a path from your right hip to your left hip.
You softly moaned, your eyes slipping close. “Whatever you say, Santa,” you breathed with a hint of a smile on your lips.
Rafael’s eyes darkened. In an instant, he had you flipped onto your back. “Oh you’re asking for it now, cariño.”
*****
It was the night of the party. Rafael and Sonny stood outside on the front stoop. When you stopped by the store to pick up the Santa outfit, you spied a beautiful lime green and red elf costume. It even came with pointy shoes. You rented the outfit and miraculously had managed to talk Sonny into being an elf. “I still don’t see why you get to be Santa,” he grumbled. “Whoever heard of a 6 foot elf.”
Rafael rolled his eyes. He was beginning to sweat within the red jumpsuit. His face itched and he silently cursed himself for not shaving before placing the fake white beard on top of his real beard. “For the last time, it’s my house and Y/N asked me to be Santa.”
“I’m just sayin’ I’m always Santa at the Carisi house.”
Rafael gave Sonny a dead-pan stare before knocking on the door.
“I got it,” he heard Fin say. Fin opened the door to see Rafael and Sonny dressed in their Christmas regalia and took out his phone to snap a picture. “I got my Christmas gift right here,” he laughed.
Rafael and Sonny walked past a still laughing Fin and into the house. “Hey everyone! Look who’s here,” you announced when you saw your husband and partner.
“Santa!” All the kids exclaimed and ran towards Rafael and Sonny. Rafael smiled and said hello to everyone in his best booming Santa voice. He had to admit seeing the children’s faces light up with joy made it worth dressing up in a ridiculous costume.
“Ok, kids. Santa is going to sit by the Christmas tree. You can each go see him and get a treat from his elf.” You looked back and winked at Rafael and Sonny.
Rafael sat down in a big armchair while the kids lined up. Fin’s grandson, Jaden, was first. He wanted Transformers.
When Noah asked for a puppy. Rafael glanced up to see Liv vehemently shaking her head at her son’s request. “Uhhh….you may need to ask the Easter Bunny for that one,” he told the little boy.
As soon as Amanda place Billie and Jesse on Rafael’s lap, they screamed and cried. Amanda laughed and took a few pictures. “They’ll love these pics when they’re older,” she teased.
It was Mila’s turn after that. With a shy smile, she hopped up on Rafael, then the inquisition started. The little girl was relentless, asking question after question.
“Santa, did you bring Rudolph with you tonight?” She sweetly asked.
Just as Rafael was about to answer Sonny interjected. “He’s back at the North Pole,” he said with a mouthful of cookies. “Santa only takes Rudolph with him when the weather is bad.”
“Oh, ok. What about the fireplace? What do kids do when they don’t have fireplaces. Do you still give them gifts?” Mila looked up at Rafael with big green innocent eyes.
“Well….I…you know fireplaces…” Rafael’s voice trailed off, trying to come up with a plausible answer.
“I know what Santa does. He uses Christmas magic,” Sonny answered before chugging a glass of milk.
“Actually my elves also freelance as chimney contractors,” Rafael replied, not wanting Sonny to outshine him. After all, he was Santa.
Sonny snorted a laugh. “Really, Santa? Chimney contractors.”
Rafael glared at Sonny and flicked a bell dangling from his hat. “Why don’t you go and pass out the candy to the kids.”
“Tough gig,” Sonny mumbled and went to pass out treats.
You watched Mila’s interaction with Rafael and had to bite your lip to keep from laughing. She was definitely her father’s daughter. “Baby, why don’t you tell Santa what you want for Christmas,” you said, deciding to save your husband from Mila’s line of questioning.
When Mila was finished, you brought over the twins. Rory and Ben held hands and warily eyed the man in red. “This must be Rory and Ben.” Rafael picked up the twins and set them on his lap. “What would you two like for Christmas?”
Rory smiled and pointed at him. “Papi!”
“No, Rory. I’m Santa,” Rafael said with a nervous laugh. “Unbelievable,” he thought to himself. The first time in weeks the twins call him Papi and its when he’s in a Santa costume.
Ben shook his head and giggled. “No, you Papi!” The tiny toddler yanked off Rafael’s fake white beard in front of everyone.
There was a collective gasp in the living room. You and Rafael locked eyes. His panic-stricken expression matched your own. “Papi? You’re Santa?!” Mila exclaimed.
All the children began to cry, asking their parents if Santa was real. It was amazing how in the blink of an eye, your party turned into a total disaster.
“Remind me again why we decided to do this?” Rafael shouted to you above the pandemonium.
It took a while, but the adults were finally able to calm everyone down and tell the children that there was indeed a real Santa. With some quick thinking on your part, you explained that Santa and Rafael were friends and Santa sometimes asked Rafael to help out when he couldn’t attend parties due to prior engagements. Rafael agreed, saying it was a little job he had on the side during the holidays.
The older children were a little skeptical of your story, but after bribing them with a few more chocolates and some additional questions from Mila, they seemed to be appeased and the party went off without a hitch.
*****
Later on that evening, you checked on Mila and the twins. They had passed out as soon as the party was over. You walked back to your bedroom, expecting Rafael to be fast asleep only to find him sitting in a chair in your bedroom with a mischievous grin on his face. He was shirtless, wearing only the red pants and suspenders along with the Santa hat, having forgone the fake white beard and red jacket.
A tingle shot straight to your core. You never had a Santa kink...until now. “Santa, what are you still doing in here?”
“Well, I was about to leave, but then I realized I never asked you what you wanted for Christmas,” Rafael said.
“Give me one second.” You held up your finger and ran to your dresser.
Rafael spied a flash of red when you pulled something out of your drawer before you made a beeline to the bathroom. He twiddled his thumbs and whistled a Christmas song while patiently waiting for you.
Just then he heard a crash coming from the bathroom. “Ow, fuck!” You muttered.
“Everything ok in there?”
“Yep,” you called out, slightly out of breath. “Be right out.” A minute later, you opened the door dressed in a sheer red lace baby doll teddy lined with white faux fur and a matching red lace thong.
Rafael audibly gulped, drinking you in from head to toe, all the blood in his body pooling in his groin.
“Well, what do you think.” You blushed and slowly twirled to show off the lingerie before sauntering over to Rafael.
“I love it, he softly groaned and ran his large hands up your thighs and around to your backside, giving your ass a firm squeeze. “Wait, you didn’t get this while out shopping with Liv, did you?”
“No,” you giggled. “I picked this up a while ago. Finally thought of an opportunity to use it.”
Rafael looked up at you, his green eyes half-hooded with lust. “Why don’t you come sit on Santa’s lap,” he purred and patted his knee.
You straddled his lap and ran your fingers through the smattering of hair across his chest, playfully snapping one of his red suspender straps. “I have to tell you, Santa. I’ve been really naughty this year,” you softly said, grinding against his growing erection.
“Well let’s see what we can do about getting you back on the nice list,” Rafael growled, kissing down the slope of your neck. You gasped and dug your nails into his biceps, feeling his scruff scratch against your soft skin. Rafael smirked, nibbling and sucking until a bruise formed right above your clavicle. Inhaling deeply, he could smell the Christmas cookie body spray you had spritzed on earlier. You smelled good enough to eat.
It may have been a crazy chaotic evening, but one thing was for sure—playing Santa certainly had its perks.
I’ve has this idea brewing in my head for awhile. The twins experience some “firsts” and Rafael gets a makeover....
Side note: I saw Raúl in Chess last February and that haircut (you know the one) was soooooo hot in person. He rocked it! Of course, the man could rock anything and still be fine as hell. Anyways, let’s just say the Freddie Trumper cut was the inspiration for my story. ❤️😍
Warning: NSFW (Daddy kink, anyone?)
5000ish words (cause I’m incapable of writing a short fic 🙈)
It was all going according to plan. Rory and Ben were sitting in their high chairs, their eyes glued to the iPad screen in front of them while you stealthily reached for a pair of scissors. You never thought you would be one of those mothers that uses a handheld device to keep your kids entertained, but desperate times call for desperate measures— and you were desperate.
The twins were just about to turn a year old. They were walking and babbling—on the brink of saying their first words. It was hard to believe how much they had grown in such a short amount of time— including their hair. It didn’t surprise you. All of your babies were born with a head full of hair, you had the pregnancy heartburn to prove it, but lately Rory and Ben’s hair was getting out of control. With their first birthday party right around the corner, you were determined to give them their first haircut. Nothing drastic just a little trim so they didn’t look like they were raised by a pack of wolves.
Slowly you crept towards them, afraid to make any sudden movements. Rory still mesmerized by the iPad, pointed to the screen and laughed. You jumped and quickly hid the scissors behind your back, amazed that your little girl could even see what was going on in the Baby Einstein video under that messy mop of hair. After a moment, you inched closer until you were just within arms reach of her.
With your scissors at the ready, you held your breath and reached for a lock of her hair when Ben immediately turned towards you pointed and screamed, gaining his sister’s attention. Rory took one look at the scissors in your hands and went into panic mode, crying and wailing.
You let out a small whine of frustration, on the verge of tears yourself. Any time you came close to cutting the twins’ hair, they would have a full blown meltdown. They were petrified. You were beginning to feel like Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street. Although to be fair, even Sweeney Todd would’ve gotten the job done.
Not above begging, you got down on your knees in front of their high chairs, your hands clasped in front of you. “Rory, Ben, please, work with me here. I’ll buy you candy. I’ll get you your own iPads and when you get older, I’ll let you pierce or tattoo anything you want. But for the love of all that is holy, please let me cut your hair,” you pleaded, tears streaming down your cheeks.
“Woah, what is going on here,” Rafael said, walking into the kitchen. You hadn’t even heard him come in amid the chaos. The twins bounced up and down, reaching out for Rafael as if he was their only salvation.
“Don’t mind us.” You sniffled and stood back up. “We’re just re-enacting the Shakespearen drama, “Lady Barba doth loseth her mind because her offspring won’t let her cutteth their hair.”
“Hmmm, don’t know that one, must be one of his earlier works,” Rafael mumbled, scooping Rory up first, then Ben, rubbing their backs while they quieted down.
“This is not a joke, Rafi. They won’t let me cut their hair. Our babies are beginning to bear a striking resemblance to Cousin It. We’ll have to dress up as the Addams Family this year for Halloween.” You pinched the bridge of your nose, beyond frustrated, having tried everything else at this point. “I’m outnumbered.”
“Not anymore.” Rafael placed the babies back in their chairs, shrugging off his jacket and rolling up his sleeves with purpose. “Papi’s here now and we’re gonna cut some hair.” He took off his tie and wrapped it around his forehead, making him look like a deranged pirate or a drunk executive at a holiday party.
You crossed your arms and cocked your head to the side, taking in his appearance. “You look like your cousin Chuy who got drunk and passed out in his black beans at our wedding.”
Rafael rolled his eyes. “Just follow my lead and when I give you the signal, take the scissors and trim.” He crouched down in front of the twins and began to make all sorts of goofy silly faces, blowing raspberries and sticking his tongue out at them. Rory and Ben were cracking up, peals of laughter filling the room, even you were entertained watching him.
With his eyes still focused on the children, Rafael motioned for you to come closer. Rory and Ben must have sensed your presence. The minute you tiptoed towards them, they spied you with the scissors and began to cry. “See, I told you it was hopeless,” you shouted above their screams.
Rafael sighed and took the tie off his head, running his hands through his hair. Glancing between your husband and the scissors in your hand, a light bulb went off in your mind. “I have an idea,” you said, a smile slowly spreading across your face.
“What’s that?” Rafael asked.
You grabbed a chair and placed it in front of the babies. “What if I pretend to cut your hair to show Rory and Ben that there is nothing to be afraid of.”
Rafael eyed you warily with the scissors in your hands. “Mi amor, I don’t know if that’s such a good idea.”
“Please, Rafi. I’ve tried everything else and nothing is working. I don’t know what to do and more importantly I don’t want my children growing up to be fearful. Just think of the therapy bills we’ll have to pay because our kids are traumatized by bad hair.”
“Fine,” he grumbled and sat down. “But be careful,” he emphasized, giving you a stern look.
“Relax. I will not touch a hair on your head. I promise.” You kissed the crown of his head before turning to address the twins. “Rory, Ben, pay attention. Mommy is going to cut Papi’s hair.” You ran your hands through Rafael’s hair, taking a lock between your fingers. Rafael squeezed his eyes shut and held his breath while you pretended to snip his hair. “There. All done,” you said with finality. “See that wasn’t so scary.”
The twins quieted down and shook their heads. You smiled and reached for the electric hair clippers.
“Woah!” Rafael exclaimed, jumping out of his chair. “Excuse me, Ms. Vidal Sasoon. What are you doing with those!?”
“The electric hair clippers are way more terrifying than scissors.”
Rafael nodded and took a step back, placing the chair in between you both as a barrier. “I agree. So I repeat, why are you taking out those bad boys.”
“Pretending to trim your hair with scissors was the first step but if we show them the electric hair clippers, they’re going to realize that scissors aren’t scary at all compared to these.” You held up the hair tool, looking at your husband as if your reasoning made complete perfect logical sense to any normal human being.
Rafael arched a brow at you. “As the lawyer in this family, I must inform you that your argument is weak at best.”
“Overruled, counselor. Mommy trumps lawyer in this family,” you retorted, reaching out and gently pushing Rafael back in the chair. “Trust me. This theory of mine will work. I’ll cut their hair and then we’ll actually be able to see our kids’ faces.”
“Oh, God. I’m regretting this already,” Rafael mumbled, listening to you turn on the hair clippers, the whirring sound buzzing in his ears.
Rory and Ben began to whine and tried to wiggle away as much as they could in their high chairs. “Shhh, relax babies. It’s ok,” you reassured them. With the clippers in your hand, you tilted Rafael’s head to the side, once again pretending to trim his hair when you heard two tiny voices.
“Dada!”
“No!”
“What?!” You exclaimed, your arm jerking forward, the hair clippers accidentally coming into contact with Rafael’s scalp.
Rafael slowly stood up and pointed to the twins before looking back at you. “Did they just say-”
“Their first words,” you finished his sentence.
Your thoughts were confirmed when Rory reached out for Rafael. “Dada!”
Meanwhile, Ben pointed to the clippers. “No!”
Upon hearing your children speak for the first time, thoughts of haircuts flew out the window. You and Rafael picked up the twins, kissing their cheeks and showering them with praise, while they giggled. It was then that you saw it. The large chunk of hair that was now missing on the side of your husband’s head. The chunk of hair that you had shaved off.
You froze with Ben in your arms, your eyes as big as saucers. Rafael hadn’t even noticed yet, too caught up in the excitement. It wasn’t until Rory touched the buzzed patch of hair that he realized something was off.
You cringed, watching as he stroked the now short stubby follicles. Every emotion flashed across your husband’s face in a matter of seconds— confusion, shock, and anger to name a few. “Y/N?” He glared at you.
“Ummm, ok. Don’t freak out, but I may have made a slight boo boo with your hair.” Rafael handed Rory over to you and walked to the bathroom. “Your Dada is gonna lose it in about 5 seconds,” you told the twins, setting them down on the floor. “5, 4, 3, 2,-”
“OH MY GOD! MY HAIR!” You heard Rafael shout, right on cue.
“Whoops,” you softly said and took hold of Rory and Ben’s hands, all three of you toddling down the hall towards your panic-stricken husband.
*****
After the “incident” as it would now infamously be referred to in the Barba household, you made a quick call and was able to get Rafael an appointment at your hair salon. With two cups of coffee balanced in your hands, you walked over to the receptionist area where he sat with the twins. One good thing about your husband’s mishap was it kept the kids entertained. Rory and Ben were fascinated by Rafael’s hair, running their hands along his newly buzzed patch. It was the most relaxed and happy you had seen them all day.
You smiled and handed him one of the cups of coffee. “Peace offering.”
“Thanks,” he grumbled, taking a sip and looking straight ahead. That “thanks” was the first word he had spoken to you in an hour. Judging by his reaction, it was obvious how upset he still was.
You sighed and sat down next to him. “I texted your mom. She’s gonna pick up Mila from her playdate and meet us here.” Rafael grunted in acknowledgement and sat in silence.
“You know, it’s really not that bad.” You said after a moment, shrugging and taking a sip of your own coffee.
Rafael whipped his head towards you. “Not that bad. I have a chunk missing from my head. I’m supposed to meet with the D.A. tomorrow looking like I’ve been scalped.”
“It’s just hair. It’ll grow back,” you mumbled, rolling your eyes.
Before Rafael could reply with a snippy remark, Lucia walked in with Mila. The little girl gasped when she saw her father’s half-buzzed head. “Papi, what happened?” She ran up to Rafael and ran her hand against his hair.
“We had a little accident while I was trying to cut the twins’ hair,” you said with a shrug.
Rafael scoffed. “A little accident?”
“Rafi, calm down. I’ve seen much worse.” Lucia waved him off and picked up Rory, sitting on the opposite side of Rafael. “You’ve always had a thing about your hair. I remember when you were a teenager spending hours in front of the mirror, making sure you had the perfect mullet.”
You nearly spit out your drink, hearing that your husband was once all business in the front and party in the back. “Excuse me?! You had a mullet!? How have we been together for so long and I didn’t know this!”
Rafael scowled. “Because I didn’t think my past hair choices were crucial to our relationship.”
“Yes, but, mi amor, knowing that you rocked a mullet is crucial to my happiness,” you laughed before turning to Lucia. “Please tell me you have pictures of this.”
“Of course, mija. Next time you stop by, I’ll have to show you. He tried everything except for one of those little rat tail things.”
As he listened to his mother tell you more embarrassing stories of his teenage years, Rafael sighed and looked up at the ceiling, exasperated. “Dear God, this is a nightmare.”
“Barba?” Called the receptionist.
You and Rafael walked up to the desk where you were met by a tiny girl with cotton candy blue hair. Your first initial thought was that she looked like a pixie on crack.
“Hi, I’m Skye. I’ll be your stylist today,” she squeaked.
Rafael opened and closed his mouth several times, at a complete loss for words. Images of him walking out of the salon with hair so colorful it would make a unicorn gag flooded his mind. “Thank you very much but I’ve had a change of heart.” He practically sprinted back to where Lucia sat with the kids.
“We’ll just be a minute,” you told Skye, walking back over to Rafael and pulling him aside. “Babe, what’s wrong. I thought you wanted to get your hair fixed.
“Yes, by a professional not by Rainbow Brite,” he whispered. “She looks like she’s only a few years older than Mila.”
You glanced over at the girl. She did look young. The mom in you wanted to give her a hug and a cookie and tell her to go back to school. “She looks a bit green but she may surprise you. She could be the Doogie Howser of hair.”
Rafael took another look at the stylist and ran his hand through his shorn hair. “Ok,” he conceded. “But I better not walk out of here looking like a troll doll.”
“We all ready?” She asked when you both came back.
You smiled. “Yep, he’s all yours.”
“Cool beans!” She exclaimed and clapped her hands, glancing behind you at Rory and Ben. “You know, I can trim their hair if you like.”
You followed her gaze to the twins, their hair practically covering their eyes. Now it was your turn to be anxious. As mom, you wanted to be the one to give your babies their first trim. You remember when you first cut Mila’s hair, barely being able to see through your tears. She’s lucky her bangs came out in a straight line. “Oh, I don’t know. They’ve been kinda funny about their hair.”
“Trust me, my niece was the same way. I know what I’m doing. I have a way with kids,” Skye reassured you.
“Cause you probably still are a kid,” Rafael muttered under his breath.
Running out of options and growing tired of the screaming and crying every time you came close to the twins with scissors, you reluctantly agreed and brought Rory and Ben over.
“Awesome sauce!” Skye said and took Ben from your arms. The little boy was mesmerized by Skye. As she walked back to her work station, Rory let go of your hand and began to follow the tiny stylist, calmly walking past scissors and blow dryers without a care in the world.
“Did you see that? She just took my babies,” you said and ran after them with Rafael right behind you.
*****
You and Rafael sat down with the twins on your laps, swiveling in your chairs while Skye was getting ready. Rafael spun around, making Rory squeal with delight. “Dada!” She giggled and patted his head.
Rafael stopped and smiled at his little girl, realizing that he was acting a tad dramatic about his hair. He would’ve shaved his head ten times over if it meant hearing his babies’ first words.
“Ok, are we all ready?” Skye asked.
“No,” Ben mumbled, clinging to your shirt.
“It’s ok, baby. Mommy’s right here.” You kissed his forehead and faced him towards Skye. “Ok, we’re ready.” Rafael followed suit with Rory. Meeting your gaze, he smiled at you, seeming nervous himself. With his free hand he reached out for yours, dropping a kiss on your knuckles.
“I’m sorry about your hair. It truly was an accident,” you softly said, squeezing his hand.
Rafael nodded. “I know. I’m sorry if I overreacted.”
“Well, I did shave a chunk of your hair off. But if it makes you feel any better, you could be bald and I would still think you’re the sexiest man in the room.”
“That definitely helps,” he replied and stretched towards you to awkwardly plant a kiss on your lips.
“Finished!” Skye announced and turned the twins back towards you and Rafael. “Well Mom and Dad, what do you think?”
Looking at your children, you gasped. Your sweet little babies were all smiles, their hair perfectly trimmed. Skye really was a miracle worker. “Oh my God! Look Rafi, I can see their eyes now,” you cooed and nuzzled against the twins. “My beautiful little babies.” You sniffled, tears forming in your eyes.
Skye gave you locks of the twins’ hair, which made you cry even harder. Rafael softly laughed and handed you his handkerchief, although even he got misty-eyed when he saw how grown up Rory and Ben looked with their new haircuts.
“That just leaves you, Mr. Barba.” Skye said, snapping a black barber’s cape around his neck.
You stood up and ran your fingers through Rafael’s hair. “I’m gonna go back to your mom and Mila. You sure you’re gonna be ok?”
“I’ll be fine,” he reassured you.
After one last quick kiss, you and twins were gone, leaving Rafael alone with Skye. The hairstylist slowly walked in a circle around him, studying his head. “Hmmmm,” she mused, deep in thought.
Rafael’s eyes followed her, his brow raised up to his forehead, feeling apprehensive about what was about to happen. “So….ummm… should I go get my hair shampooed or something.”
“Shh,” she shushed him and licked her index finger, holding it up as if she was trying to determine which direction the wind was blowing. “I got it.”
Rafael looked around. “What? What did you get?”
Skye smiled and leaned on the counter of her work station, facing him. “Mr. Barba, relax. I’m gonna make you look bitchin’.”
“Bitchin’?!” Rafael repeated, ready to rip off the cape and jump out of the chair.
Skye grabbed the hair clippers and went to stand behind Rafael’s chair, locking eyes with him in the mirror. “Trust me, when you come out of here with your new haircut, your wife won’t be able to take her hands off you.”
Rafael didn’t need any help in that department. You were all over him regardless of his hair, yet he was intrigued by the stylist’s statement. With a flick of a switch, the familiar buzzing he had heard earlier began to sound in his ear, only this time, instead of panicking, Rafael relaxed, curious to see exactly what Skye had planned up her sleeve.
*****
“Come on! You can do it. Say it one more time for abuela,” you cooed to the twins, trying to get them to talk so Lucia could capture it on video. You glanced back towards the salon, hoping to catch a glimpse of Rafael. It had been a while since you left him and now even you were beginning to worry.
Rory looked up and smiled brightly, pointing behind your shoulder. “Dada!”
“Do you see Papi?” You turned your head to follow her gaze. “Where’s Pa—Oh my God,” you gasped, when you saw Rafael. You opened and closed your eyes, shaking your head a bit, making sure the person approaching you was indeed your husband. His hair had been buzzed short on both sides, but long at the top with a deep side part, showing off the graying at his temples. It was styled but still had body to it, a few strands of hair flopping forward as he strode up to you.
“Well, what do you think?” Rafael asked and twirled around to show off his new cut.
“Rafael!?” Lucia’s eyes widened as she looked her son over. “It’s different, pero I like it.”
You suddenly became mute, your heart beating fast. What were those things that came out of people’s mouths? Oh yeah— words. Standing there, you racked your brain, trying to think of something to say that resembled the English language but in the end all you could squeak out was “good” and awkwardly gave Rafael a thumbs up.
After his big reveal, Lucia took the kids to dinner while you stayed with Rafael. Standing next to him as he paid at the desk, you were captivated by his hair. He looked like a rock star, emulating pure sex. You wiped your chin to make sure there wasn’t any drool dribbling off it. Unable to help yourself, you reached over and ran your fingers through his locks. “Mmm Daddy,” you whispered. Rafael, the receptionist, and Skye all turned towards you. “Did I just say that out loud?” You blushed and let out a nervous giggle.
Rafael smirked and arched a brow, noticing your flushed cheeks and the way you were biting your lip. He certainly enjoyed the effect he was having on you. Looking back at Skye, she gave him a knowing smile. “See you at your next appointment, Mr. Barba.”
You were silent all the way back to the car. Rafael opened the passenger door for you before getting into the driver’s seat. “So where to now? Did you wanna maybe grab dinner? We can go to—”
You cut Rafael off with a bruising kiss, swiping your tongue across his bottom lip, your one hand tugging at his hair while the other snaked down to the front of his pants, your delicate fingers tracing the outline of his now growing erection. His body was all too eager to respond to your passionate embrace. He groaned and tilted his head to deepen the kiss, his tongue mingling with yours. After several minutes, you pulled away to catch your breath, your lipstick slightly smudged, eyes half-hooded. “Let’s go home.” Rafael let out a shaky breath and turned on the ignition, speeding out onto the street. Hungry for your husband, you leaned over the car console to place teasing feather-light kisses on his neck. “Hurry,” you softly murmured against his skin.
****
Rafael could have quit his job and joined Nascar with the way he weaved through rush hour traffic, the car screeched to a halt in front of your home in record time. You led Rafael inside, opening the door and pulling him in after you, your lips never leaving his. Clothes were haphazardly strewn around the foyer floor as you pawed at each other. “Bedroom?” He mumbled between kisses.
“Too far,” you panted, leading him towards the living room. Rafael hopped towards you, trying to take his shoes off with his pants hanging around his ankles and nearly tripping in the process. You fell over the arm of the couch, half-naked, bringing Rafael down on top of you.
Flailing your legs, you kicked off your panties while pushing Rafael’s boxer briefs down, releasing his cock. He hovered over you, watching your chest rise and fall rapidly, giving you a look of pure lust. Running his large hands up your body, he grabbed your blouse and ripped it off you, tearing the fabric to shreds. You gasped, almost coming undone right then and there.
He pushed your breasts out your bra, dragging his thumbs across your nipples. Dipping his head, he latched onto one of your hardened buds, suckling and raking his teeth over it. You moaned loudly, and wrapped your arms around his neck, practically smothering him with your chest. With a muffled groan, he licked across the valley of your breasts, repeating his actions on your other nipple.
You tugged him up for passion-fueled kiss, probing his mouth with your tongue. “Fuck me, Daddy,” you whimpered, reaching down to help guide him towards your core. Rafael’s eyes darkened. You had never called him “Daddy” before today. Hearing that delicious word was like flipping a switch, untapping a primal desire within.
He dragged his cock along your slit, slightly shocked at how wet you were. “Damn, baby. You’re dripping. This all for me?”
“You know it is,” you purred, moving your hips towards him.
Pressing his crown against your opening, he slid into you, inch by inch. Both of you sighing in sweet relief when he was buried to the hilt inside you. He slowly rotated his hips, sinking into your sheath even further. A low guttural moan escaped from your lips. You gripped his biceps, your eyes fluttering shut, feeling your walls stretch to accommodate his size.
Rafael’s thrusts were hard and deep. He threw his head back, cursing in Spanish, the head of his cock bumping against your cervix with each snap of his hips. “Does that feel good?” He growled, his words punctuated by his movements.
“Harder. Please,” you choked out.
Grabbing one of your legs, he hooked it over his elbow while you wrapped your other leg around him, your heel digging into the small of his back. He leaned forward and sped up his thrusts, fucking you hard into the couch. The angle now had his cock grazing against your g-spot.
“Oh fuck! Just like that!” You sobbed in pleasure. “Don’t stop!”
Rafael grunted with his efforts, licking and kissing the sweat off your skin. You shuddered underneath him, listening to his ragged breathing in your ear. An obscene steady wet slapping noise echoed against the walls. You could even feel the couch skidding on the floor.
Weaving a hand between you both, he began to rub your clit in time with his thrusts. You bit back a scream, your muscles tightening against him as he plunged into you again and again. A tight coil twisted deep in your belly, desperate to spring free. Rafael pressed his forehead against yours, moaning and panting into your mouth, your lips caressing his. “I want you to come hard for me, mi amor. Let me hear you.”
Obeying Rafael’s command, you let go, screaming his name. Every muscle in your body tensed up, your nails clawing at his back as your orgasm washed over you. Stars flashed before your eyes. You were floating on air. A distant series of harsh groans coming from Rafael and the warm wet sensation of his seed spilling inside you brought you back to reality. He gradually slowed his thrusts, prolonging your pleasure before untangling himself from you.
Sitting back on his haunches, he placed a hand on each of your knees, keeping your legs spread. “You look so fucking hot right now,” he purred when he saw his cum seep out of your wet throbbing pussy. Lowering his head, he settled himself between your thighs, licking and sucking your glistening lower lips.
“Oh Rafael!” You whimpered, propping yourself up on your elbows to watch him. “That feels so good.”
Rafael’s eyes bore into yours while he lapped at your core. The taste of your sweet juices combined with his salty cum flooded his mouth. He traced your entrance with his tongue, his nose rubbing up against your clit. The smell of sweat and sex clung to you, driving him wild.
Tangling your fingers in his hair, you grinded against his face, your body oversensitive yet in dire need to come again. He wrapped his mouth around your bundle of nerves, groaning and shaking his head while swirling his tongue around your hot swollen pink pearl.
Your second orgasm ripped right through you. You sobbed in pleasure, arching your back off the couch, your thighs clamping down on either side of his head. Rafael moaned against you, watching you writhe and shiver above him. He licked you through your release, letting go of your clit with a wet squelch. Turning his head, he placed a kiss on your inner thigh, gently nibbling and sucking at the tender flesh until he was satisfied with the dark bruise he had left.
You covered your face with your hands, your body shaking from the pleasure still coursing through your veins, mumbling something unintelligible. Rafael smirked, laying wet open mouth kisses on your stomach, moving his mouth up to your breasts before peeling your hands away from your face to plant a searing hot kiss on your lips. “Should I take that as a compliment?”
“Uh huh,” you breathed.
Rafael chuckled and shifted over on the couch, half of his body on top of you. Propping his head up, he rested his chin on your sternum while you twirled a strand of his hair around your finger. “You know, we still have a couple hours before Mami comes home with the kids,” he said, drawing circles onto your skin with his index finger. “Want to go take a nap and then round two?”
“Yes please, Daddy,” you moaned, not sure which one you were more excited about: the nap or the sex. Oh who were you kidding— it was definitely the sex.
Rafael groaned. “You’re asking for it, cariño.” He got up from the couch and took your hand, helping you to stand. Reaching around to the back of your thighs, he lifted you in his arms.
You wrapped your legs around his waist as he carried you up the stairs, gazing into his hypnotic green eyes. You couldn’t help but blush, butterflies fluttering around in your stomach. “Have I mentioned how much I love this new haircut on you,” you teased.
*****
Later on that night, you tucked Mila in before going to check on the babies. When you walked into the nursery, you saw your husband laying on the floor, between the twins’ cribs, his arms reaching through the bars and clasping one of Rory and Ben’s little hands. All three of them sound asleep, exhausted from their long and exciting day. Leaning on the doorframe, you softly chuckled to yourself, it was certainly obvious where the twins inherited their dramatic flair from.
It’s been sooo long since I’ve written about my Barba family. I’ve had this idea in my head for awhile (it’s what I do during staff meetings, daydream about fic ideas).
It’s Mila’s first tee ball game! Also Rafael and the reader defend their marriage. Get ready for some domestic fluffiness, Queen Bees, misogynist pigs, and feisty comebacks 😍❤️
Disclaimer: I haven’t been to a tee ball game since I was a kid so forgive me for my inaccuracies in the art of tee-ball.
Saturdays were typically filled with pancakes, cartoons, and if you and Rafael were lucky, lazy morning sex, but today was different. It was opening day for Mila’s tee ball team and the Barba family was in full swing, preparing snacks and wrangling three kids to make it to the game on time.
While you were in the kitchen getting everything ready for the day, Rafael sat in the middle of the living room, keeping an eye on Mila and the twins. A smile slowly spread across his face as he watched Rory rock back and forth on her hands and knees. “Y/N! Come here! I think this is it. I think she’s gonna do it! I think she’s about to crawl!”
Rafael was determined to witness his daughter’s milestone. A few weeks earlier Ben began to crawl but unfortunately Rafael was in court and missed the event. Although you had taken a video, it wasn’t the same as being there to see his son scoot across the floor. He now understood why you were so upset when you had missed Mila taking her first steps.
“You can do it! Come on muñequita,” Rafael cooed.
Mila stopped practicing her swings and tapped on Rafael’s shoulder. “Papi, that’s wrong. I your moony-quita. Not her!” She furrowed her brows, placing one hand on her hip while the other pointed to her baby sister.
Rafael turned towards his oldest daughter, running a hand through her curls. “Of course you’re my muñequita. But so is your sister. You’re both my muñequitas, ok?”
“I guess that ok,” Mila mumbled, glancing between her sibling and her father with a look of skepticism.
“You’re still my number one girl.” He reassured her, kissing her cheek before turning back to Rory, outstretching his arms towards his daughter. “That’s it! Come to Papi!”
Rory grinned, drool dribbling down her cheek as she babbled at her father. Anticipation hung heavy in the air. Just when it looked like she was about to crawl, Ben beat her to the punch. The baby boy had been happily sucking on his toes when he decided to roll over and crawl towards Rafael, giggling as he scooted across the floor.
Watching her brother crawl into Rafael’s arms, Rory plopped down on her belly and began to cry. Her tiny face turning red as crocodile tears streamed down her cheeks. At the sound of his sister’s cries, Ben’s bottom lip quivered. It wasn’t long before he joined in, both babies crying and screaming, creating a cacophony that would wake the dead.
Mila covered both her ears. “Uh oh, they broken.”
Upon hearing your children wail, you ran into the room to find your husband with both babies in his arms, trying to calm them. “What happened?” You shouted to Rafael above the screams.
“I don’t know! One minute Rory was about to crawl, Ben got to me first and now this!” Rafael looked bewildered, motioning to the chaos surrounding him.
You sighed, shaking your head slightly and took Rory from Rafael, rubbing soothing circles on her back. Now that the twins were getting older, their personalities were shining through. Rory may have favored you looks-wise but she was all Barba. You knew the reason for her outburst was because her brother had gotten to Rafael first, leaving her behind. While your sensitive baby boy was crying simply because his sister was.
“Aww pobrecita,” you cooed, bouncing your baby girl up and down. “It’s ok, mi amor. No more tears.” You glanced down at Mila and smiled, watching her put on her tee ball helmet. For the past few weeks, the tiny toddler insisted on wearing it around the house, only taking the helmet off during bath time. “You ready for your big game, baby?”
“Yep, we gonna crush them!” She exclaimed, jumping up and down.
You bit back a laugh. Who knew that four year olds had such a ruthless competitive streak. “Just remember to have fun. It doesn’t matter if you win or lose.”
“Yeah! Have fun crushing them.” Mila bared her teeth and growled before going back to practicing her swings.
Once the twins quieted down, you and Rafael placed both babies in their activity centers, hoping that would keep them entertained. “Mila, keep an eye on your brother and sister while Papi and I finish getting ready.”
You scampered off to the kitchen to finish preparing snacks for the game while Rafael retrieved the cooler from the hallway closet. He stopped in his tracks when he spied you standing on your tiptoes with your back to him, trying to grab a box of ziploc baggies from the top cupboard.
You were in full momma-mode, wearing a t-shirt that had Mila’s team name emblazoned on the back, a pair of denim shorts, and canvas sneakers. The casual outfit proved alluring to Rafael. It was simple yet sexy. Of course in Rafael’s eyes, you could be dressed in a potato sack and be sexy. A smirk tugged at his lips as he looked you over, drinking in your long legs, admiring your ass and the way your shirt rode up, revealing a strip of bare skin on the small of your back.
Rafael snuck up behind you and playfully tugged on your braid. He reached up and grabbed the baggies, handing them to you before winding his arms around your waist, dropping a kiss right below your ear, inhaling the sweet scent of your vanilla body spray.
You softly moaned in response, leaning back into his touch as his fingers skimmed the waistband of your shorts. “Excuse me, sir. My husband will be home any minute.”
“Your husband, hmm? You didn’t mention a husband last night while you were riding me,” Rafael purred, playing along with your little game.
“Must have slipped my mind.” You giggled and tilted your head, granting him further access as he continued to kiss down your neck.
“Does your husband make you come as hard I can,” he whispered, gently biting down your earlobe.
You turned to face him and wrapped your arms around his neck. “I don’t know. He’s pretty skilled.”
“Skilled? Well I guess I’ll just have to fuck you again. Make you forget all about that husband of yours.” He pushed you up against the counter causing you to gasp in surprise.
“Guess you will,” you whispered against his lips, kissing him deeply, tasting the remnants of coffee and mint on his tongue. “But later. Right now I need to place organic non-GMO fruit in baggies for a team of four year olds.” You reluctantly pulled away from Rafael and began to place dragon fruit and kumquats into the cooler, also sneaking in some extra baggies of grapes and orange slices. If your suspicions were correct, you knew the majority of the team, including your four year old, would be less than enthusiastic about the pretentious unusual fruit.
Rafael picked up a thick packet of paper that was tossed aside on the counter and snorted a laugh. “Dear Lord, what is this?”
You rolled your eyes. “Ugh a list of pre-approved snacks for toddlers, courtesy of Missy Schultz.” Missy Schultz was the Queen Bee in your neighborhood. She was leader of the Booster Club for Mila’s team, President of the PTA and a colossal pain in the ass. When you were pregnant with the twins, she stopped to lecture you for an hour about the benefits of eating your placenta. It took all your strength not to punch her in the face whenever you encountered her at any school or team function.
“The bar exam wasn’t as complicated as this,” Rafael mumbled, flipping to the back of the packet to review the appendix section.
You finished packing the cooler and looked over at your husband. He was wearing khakis shorts, a blue polo, and boat shoes. Even after six years together, it was still strange to see him in such a casual look. Rafael dressed to impress. His sharp tailored suits combined with his silver tongue was part of what defined him in the courtroom. His suspenders alone were enough to turn you into a puddle. But at home Rafael was more than an ADA, he was a husband and father. At home, he could relax.
Sensing your eyes on him, Rafael glanced over at you. “What?” He asked, popping a grape into his mouth.
“Nothing, it’s just...well look at us. Scrambling to get out the door before 9 am on a Saturday,” you said. “Remember when we used to have naked weekends?”
Way back before kids came into the picture, you and Rafael would spend your rare weekends off completely naked. Your Saturdays and Sundays would be spent having sex in every room of your apartment, cuddling and ordering takeout whenever you needed nourishment for the next round of lovemaking. You loved your lazy weekends with Rafael. It was a chance to escape from work and responsibilities, where nothing else mattered, just the two of you, living in your own little world.
Rafael groaned and playfully pinched your ass. “How could I forgot naked weekends. In fact, I vote we bring back naked weekends.”
“Papi, I don’t think we’ll be able to have a naked weekend for at least 18 more years.”
“Mami has been asking to have a sleepover with the kids,” he purred, snaking an arm around you. “I can’t promise a naked weekend, but how about a naked Saturday?”
“You got yourself a deal, Counselor.” You kissed him hard, your tongue snaking into his mouth, running your fingers through his hair. Pulling back, you straightened the collar of his shirt, looking him over one more time. “When did we become such parents?”
He grinned and rubbed the back of his neck, looking towards the living room. “Call me crazy but I think it’s when we decided to get married and have kids.”
Following his gaze, you came across a sight that made your heart melt. There was Mila standing in between the twins demonstrating to them the perfect pitch. Rory and Ben intently watched their big sister, babbling and sucking on their teething toys while she pretended to hit a home run.
You softly smiled at your children before glancing at the wall clock. “Oh we gotta go. Don’t wanna be late and face the wrath of Missy Schultz.” You walked back to the living room and picked up the twins. Rafael followed with the cooler in his hand, ushering Mila out the door for her first game.
*****
After dropping off Mila and a quick diaper change for Ben, Rafael walked over to the bleachers. He sat down next to you and Rory, warily watching the group of tiny toddlers on the field. “Oh God, I’m getting little league flashbacks. Of all the sports, Mila could pick from, why did she pick this.” He shook his head. “We shouldn’t be subjecting her to this type of pressure at such a young age. I mean one wrong game and you’re called “Bad Ball Barba” for the rest of the season.”
You snorted a laugh, playfully nudging his shoulder. “Papi, our little perfectionist has been practicing for weeks, I think she’ll be fine and besides maybe Mila will take after me and actually know how to hit the ball.” You winked, bopping Rafael on the nose with your index finger.
Rafael placed a hand over his heart, feigning offense. “That’s cold, baby.”
Just then a pungent smell hit your nose. You and Rafael exchanged a glance before looking down at Rory who was in desperate need of a diaper change.
“First Ben, now you,” he mumbled, his eyes darting between both babies. “Do you think they plan this?”
The twins giggled and for a split second you could have sworn you saw matching mischievous expressions on their faces. “Oh definitely. We’ll be right back. I told Sonny I’d meet him at the front anyways.” You got up with Rory and walked to the bathroom.
Rafael sat with Ben on his lap. The baby grinned and stared up at his father with big green eyes, reaching up with his chubby hands to grab the gold cross hanging around Rafael’s neck. A smile tugged at his lips as he snuggled closer to his son. “Hey, mijo. Papi loves you so much,” he softly said, kissing him on the forehead.
“Hi guys,” Olivia waved and walked up to Rafael, grabbing a seat on the bleachers.
“Liv, what are you doing here?” He asked, surprised to see the lieutenant at his daughter’s game.
She quirked an eyebrow at him. “Nice to see you too, Barba. Your wife invited me.”
“Sorry, I just wasn’t expecting you to be here. Where’s Noah?”
“Noah is at day camp right now and the house is way too quiet without him so I thought I’d stop by and get some baby time in.” She smiled at Ben and reached out to take him from Rafael. “Hi Ben. You’re getting to be such a big boy!” She cooed, bouncing the baby in her lap.
Rafael smiled and watched his son giggle with Olivia when he heard someone call his name. Turning towards the voice, he inwardly cringed when he saw his old partner, Blaine Driscoll. He and Blaine worked together at a private law firm before Rafael joined the District Attorney’s office. Blaine was a materialistic lecherous creep. He was greedy and shallow, caring only about making money and chasing tail rather than getting justice. It was people like Blaine Driscoll that made Rafael leave the private sector.
“Rafael Barba, you ol’ son of a bitch!” Blaine practically yelled causing a few parents to stare disapprovingly at the person who was cursing feet away from their children.
Rafael let out a long breath and plastered a smile on his face. “Blaine, what a surprise to see you here.”
“Yeah, my niece or nephew or god-whatever is playing so I thought what the hell and get this whole family function thing over with,” he mumbled, rolling his eyes. “What about you? Don’t tell me you have a kid.” He playfully punched Rafael in the shoulder a little too hard.
“Actually I have three. My oldest daughter is playing. It’s her first game,” Rafael nodded towards the field, rubbing his shoulder a bit.
“Well fuck me gently with a chainsaw. I never would have pegged you for being a family man.”
“Life is full of surprises,” Rafael replied who took a fussy Ben back from Olivia.
“That it is.” Blaine smiled and observed Rafael with the baby before looking Olivia over. “So how’d you nail down this son of a gun?” He asked the lieutenant.
Rafael and Olivia turned towards each other and laughed, shaking their heads. “No we’re not together. My wife is over there.” Rafael pointed to where you were standing next to Sonny talking to a tall blonde woman. From a distance he could see how angry you were and wondered if everything was ok.
Blaine followed Rafael’s gaze and whistled when he saw you. “Damn Barba, you’re batting WAY out of your league. I see you got yourself a little trophy wife. How the hell did you nab that hot piece of ass?”
Rafael’s eyes widened. “I beg your pardon!” Olivia’s jaw dropped, she could see smoke practically fuming from her friend’s ears.
Blaine ignored him and continued. “She played her cards right, snatching up an older man and saddling you with three rugrats.” He clucked his tongue and shook his head, looking sympathetically at Rafael. “Tough break, but take my advice and stick through it. Alimony can be a bitch in the state of New York.” He looked around before leaning closer. “If you ever need a little honey on the side. I can hook you up with someone hotter and younger.” He winked at his old partner. “Well, I better get going. See ya’ around, Barba.”
A heat began to creep up on Rafael’s neck. He saw red hearing his old partner talk about you in such a degrading manner. As Blaine walked away, Rafael gave Ben back to Olivia before standing up and grabbing him by the shoulder. He turned him around and got right in the man’s face.
“What the hell, Barba!” Blaine tried to move away but Rafael had a vice-like grip on his shoulder.
“You listen to me and you listen good. I don’t ever want to hear you talk about my wife. That’s the mother of my children and my family. You do it again and you’ll regret it,” Rafael told the man in a dangerously low tone.
Blaine smiled and shrugged Rafael off. “Is that a threat?”
“It’s a promise,” Rafael calmly replied, although his fists were shaking with rage. “Leave my family alone. Don’t talk to us. Don’t even look at us, you got that?”
“Sorry, won’t happen again.” Blaine held his hands up in surrender and walked away.
Rafael let out a shaky breath and ran a hand over his face, sitting back down and taking his son back from Olivia. “Wow, I’m impressed,” she said with a smirk. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you like that before, not even in the courtroom. You really told that creep off.”
Rafael nodded and held Ben close, stroking his dark curly hair. “Y/N and the kids, they’re my life. My heart. I would do anything to defend them especially from misogynist pigs.”
You changed Rory in record time. Placing her back in the baby carrier, you walked out of the bathroom, meeting your partner. “Hey, Sonny! Thanks for coming!”
“No problem. I wouldn’t miss Mila’s first game. What kinda godfather would I be, huh?” He tickled Rory’s feet causing the baby to squirm and giggle in delight.
Just then a shrill voice called your name. “Mrs. Barba?!”
You closed your eyes and groaned. “Is there a tall blonde woman in athleisure wear running towards me?” You asked your partner.
He nodded his head. “Yep, right behind you.”
You turned around, coming face to face with Missy Schultz. “Hi, Mrs. Schultz. How can I help you.”
“I was just heading back to my seat and I couldn’t help but notice that you use a baby carrier. You know researchers say you should really use a baby wrap. Not only is it environmentally-friendly but it holds the baby in a comfortable position, very similar to the way the child was in utero. It also strengthens the bond between mommy and baby, and-”
“Thank you, Mrs. Schultz,” you politely interrupted, knowing that you would be standing there for an hour listening to her praise the benefits of baby wrapping. “I’ll take that into consideration but I really need to go. I don’t want to miss Mila play.”
“Oh of course. We can talk after the game.” She smiled and looked over at Sonny, extending her hand to him. “Forgive me for being so rude. This must be the famous Mr. Barba. Mila talks about you all the time. You’re her hero.”
Sonny and you exchanged a glance and laughed. “Actually this is my partner from work and Mila’s godfather. My husband is over there with my son.” You pointed towards the bleachers where Rafael was talking to another man.
Missy’s eyes widened as she looked over Rafael. “Oh...yes. I noticed him dropping Mila off this morning. That’s...uhhh surprising.” She gave you a tight polite smile.
You knitted your eyebrows in confusion “Why would that be surprising?”
“Oh it’s nothing.” She waved you off. “Forget I said anything.”
You took a step towards her and continued. “It doesn’t seem to be nothing. Something seems to be “surprising” about my relationship with my husband.”
“It’s just hearing you and Mila talking about your husband. I was expecting someone younger, not someone who is about to qualify for his AARP card. I guess I’m different and didn’t want my kids raised by someone old enough to be their grandfather, but to each their own.”
“Excuse me!” You shouted.
“Y/N,” Sonny warned. “Let’s forget about it and go.”
“Not a chance! Take my baby!” You handed Rory to your partner before getting right in Missy’s face.
There was a twelve year gap between you and Rafael. At the beginning of your relationship, you heard concerns about your age difference from friends and family but you let it roll off your back. Age didn’t matter. You knew in your heart Rafael was the only man for you. But hearing Missy make snide remarks about your husband caused something inside you to snap.
“Let me tell you something, Missy. That man is my husband and the love of my life. He’s also an incredible and dedicated father. If I ever hear you say anything about him or my family again, I’ll shove that pre-approved snack pamphlet so far up your ass, you’ll have paper cuts on your tongue,” you threatened. She gasped in horror, clutching her chest. You walked away before turning around to make one last point. “Oh and one more thing, Rafael is dynamite in the sack. He makes me scream so loud even you would be able to hear it from your little Park Avenue palace. After a night with him, I’m lucky I can even walk. Remember that next time you want to comment on my man.”
Sonny’s jaw dropped, blushing profusely as he tried to cover Rory’s ears. You smiled at Missy and walked back to your partner, taking the baby from him. “Let’s go, Sonny.”
Sonny shrugged at Missy before following you to the bleachers. “Wow!” He whistled, his mind completely blown at your tirade. “Barba is one lucky guy to have you defend him like that.”
“I’m the lucky one, Sonny.”
He smiled and nodded his head. “Just do me a favor. Don’t ever tell me what you two do in the bedroom. I don’t need that image seared into my brain.”
“You should have seen what he did to me last night,” you teased, nudging his shoulder.
Sonny groaned in response. “Stop, I’m gonna be sick.”
While making your way to the bleachers, the man you saw Rafael talking to earlier brushed past you and Sonny. He looked visibly shaken. “Hey guys. Everything ok?” You asked, sitting next to your husband.
“Everything’s good,” Rafael replied. Olivia smiled and nodded her head in agreement. He took hold of your hand and interlocked his fingers with yours. “Are you guys ok?”
“Never better.” You glanced over at Sonny who was still blushing from earlier and winked. Turning your attention back to the field, you watched as Mila came up to the plate. “Oh she’s next!”
The little girl smiled brightly and waved at you and Rafael. “Look, that’s your sister.” He pointed Mila out to the twins. Rory and Ben shrieked with excitement, bouncing up and down in your’s and Rafael’s laps when they saw her. Rafael held his breath as Mila swung her bat, smacking the ball and sending it flying across the field, hitting a home run. You, Rafael, Sonny, and Olivia stood up and cheered as the toddler ran the bases.
“Way to go, muñequita!” Rafael exclaimed, capturing it all on video. He wrapped an arm around you and planted a sweet kiss on your lips. Pulling away, he couldn’t help but stare, completely mesmerized by you. Years ago, Rafael had made peace with the fact that he was going to end up old and alone, married to his job. Then one day you came and changed everything and here he was married with three beautiful children. The happiest he had ever been in his life and it was all because of you.
You blushed under his gaze. “What?”
“Nothing, it’s just...I love you.” He smiled, kissing each of the twins before kissing you one more time, gently caressing your cheek.
“I love you too,” you replied, nuzzling your nose against his before resting your head on his shoulder, watching the rest of the game.
Neither of you would ever tell the other what happened with Missy and Blaine because it didn’t matter what people thought. The only thing that mattered was your love for one another and the family you created out of that love.
I was in the mood for some domestic fluffiness! Rafael and the reader find out that kids notice EVERYTHING! Also Mila has a crush ❤️
Rafael laid you down on the couch, his limbs caging you in as he threaded his fingers in your hair. With the exception of lips softly smacking against each other, the living room was quiet. Miraculously, the children were fast asleep upstairs, allowing you both to sneak in some quality alone time together. Tonight was a rare night in the Barba household. For the past few weeks Rory and Ben had been teething, the fussy and feverish twins keeping you and Rafael up at all hours of the night with their crying.
“Rafi, wanna take this upstairs?” you asked between kisses.
“Mmhmm,” he replied, his tongue brushing up against yours. You softly moaned, feeling his fingertips trail underneath the hem of your t-shirt. Neither of you made a move to stop your make out session, completely lost in one another. So lost that you didn’t hear the pitter patter of tiny feet come downstairs.
Mila stood in front of the couch, clutching her teddy bear, “Mami? Papi?” At the sight of his daughter, Rafael immediately jumped off you, covering his semi with a pillow.
“What’s wrong, baby?” You asked, sitting up and tugging your shirt down.
“I thirsty. Can I have a glass of water?” The tiny girl rubbed her sleepy eyes.
“Why didn’t you get water from the upstairs bathroom? You asked, still slightly out of breath.
“Kitchen water tastes better. It colder,” she explained.
You let out a long sigh, this was not the first time Mila had played this game, using every excuse in the book to delay going back to bed. “Ok, one glass of cold kitchen water coming right up and then it’s bedtime,” you led your daughter into the kitchen.
After drinking her water, she ran back into the living, looking up at her father with big green eyes and a little pout, “Papi, will you tuck me in.”
“Of course, muñequita,” Rafael smiled, running a hand through her curls before scooping her up in his arms. You followed them upstairs, softly laughing to yourself. Mila had her father wrapped around her little finger. The ADA may have been tough and authoritative in the courtroom, but when it came to his children, they all tugged at his heartstrings. Watching him as a father made you fall in love with him even more.
“Will you sing me a song too?” She asked in a syrupy sweet angelic voice.
“I sure can, amorcita.”
“And will you read me a story?” Mila nuzzled into her father’s shoulder.
“Milagros,” you said in a warning tone, catching her eye and giving her a stern look.
Mila was asleep by the second verse of Rafael’s lullaby. He quietly left her room, padding down the hall to your bedroom where you were waiting for him, “So are you too tired to finish what we started downstairs?” He arched a brow, locking the door behind him.
“What do you think,” you said, tossing the bed covers aside, revealing your naked body to him. He slowly sauntered up to you, a dark look of desire in his eyes. Grabbing him by his shirt, you tugged him down on top of you, kissing him hard.
His fingers danced across your skin, trailing up your inner thigh. He ran a single digit up your slit, groaning against your mouth when he discovered how wet you were, “Did you start without me?”
“Maybe,” you purred. “But my fingers don’t fill me up nearly as good as your big hot cock, Papi.” You gifted him a hot and hungry kiss, grinding your dripping core on his crotch. He could feel you soak through the thin fabric of his pajama bottoms, your arousal leaving a wet patch.
In one swift movement, Rafael grabbed your arms, pinning them above your head causing you to gasp in surprise. “Is that what you want, mi amor?” He growled. “You want me to fuck you so hard you’ll feel me every time you move tomorrow?”
You looked up at him with lust filled eyes, your lips still kiss swollen from earlier. “Si, Papi. Give it to me,” you said in a sultry voice, nibbling on his jaw and wrapping your legs around his waist.
The next morning, you stood in the kitchen, pouring batter into the waffle maker with one hand while slicing up strawberries with the other. It was amazing how in a matter of hours you had gone from wanton sex goddess to multitasking momma.
Rory began to cry, scrunching up her face and wiggling around in her high chair. “Shhh don’t cry, sweet pea. Mami will be right there,” you cooed. Mila sat at the table, playing peek-a-boo with her sister to help calm her down. The tiny baby’s tears quickly turning to fits of laughter.
“Ok, breakfast is ready,” you announced, handing Mila a cut up waffle and some fruit, wincing a bit when you sat down at the table. True to his word, you could feel your husband with every movement you made. Not that you minded, the soreness served as a reminder of your heated night of passion.
Mila took a bite of her waffle, watching as you tried to feed Rory, who was more interested in blowing raspberries than eating strained bananas. “Mami, what’s that?” She asked, pointing towards the fresh hickey on your neck.
You turned bright red and immediately covered the offending mark with your hand, “Ummmm…….well….you see....” Your daughter stared at you intently, hanging on your every word as you searched your brain for an innocent explanation. “Last night, Mami got in a fight with a vacuum cleaner,” you cringed at your pathetic excuse.
“Wow!” Mila’s eyes were as big as saucers. “Were you scared?”
“No, mija. Mami took care of it,” you replied, taking your ponytail out and letting your hair down to cover the bruise.
Rafael came into the kitchen carrying Ben. “Ok, Papo. You’re all clean and changed,” he kissed the top of his son’s head, placing him in the high chair next to his sister. The baby smiled, showing off his new tooth. Rory and Ben reached out for one another with their chubby little hands, babbling as if they were carrying on a conversation. Now that the twins were getting older, they were beginning to recognize each other more, watching their interactions melted your heart.
“Papi!! Did you hear what happened with Mami and the vacuum?” Mila asked her father.
Rafael knitted his brows in confusion as he poured himself a cup of coffee, “Vacuum?”
You cleared your throat and brushed your hair away, revealing the love bite to your husband, “Your daughter was asking about the fight I got in with the vacuum cleaner last night,” you explained.
“Oh,” Rafael rubbed the back of his neck, looking sheepish. “Yeah, Mami showed that vacuum cleaner who’s the boss,” he winked at you before checking his watch. “I better leave. I have a briefing with the D.A. Don’t forget, the trial is this Friday so I need to prep you and Sonny this afternoon.”
“Prep? Didn’t you prep me enough last night?” You teased.
“Not nearly enough,” he purred. Pulling you towards him, he wrapped his arms around you and dipped you back, planting a big kiss on your lips.
“Wow,” you breathed. Six years together and the man still turned you into a puddle just by his kisses. “You better get moving or you’ll be late.” He dropped one last tender kiss on your lips, then gave each of the kids a quick kiss goodbye before heading to the door.
“Mami, do you like kissing Papi?” Mila asked, finishing up her breakfast.
You smiled, “Yeah, I do.”
The little girl nodded her head, “Ok, that’s good.”
You glanced over at your daughter as you cleaned up the twins, who had more banana on their faces than in their mouths, “Baby, why did you ask me if I like kissing Papi.”
“Because you two kiss a lot.”
You laughed, picking up the little girl and placing her on your lap. “Well that’s because we love each other. It makes people feel good when you show them how much you care about them. Just like when I kiss you,” you wiped her face where she missed a spot, kissing her cheek.
“Oh ok! I get it!” She hopped off your lap and ran to grab her backpack for school.
A week later, you and Rafael sat in the main office at Mila’s school, nervously fidgeting. Her teacher had asked you both to come in for a meeting. “She’s four years old. What do you think happened?” Rafael mumbled, worrying his bottom lip.
“I don’t know,” you jostled your leg, wiping your sweaty palms on your pant legs, when the door to the principal’s office opened.
“Mr. and Mrs. Barba, I’m Mr. Boatwright, the principal. Please come in,” the man, motioned you and your husband into his office where Mila’s teacher was already sitting inside. “I believe you already know Miss Powell.”
“Nice to see you again, Mr. and Mrs. Barba. Thank you so much for meeting with us today.”
“Absolutely. Is everything ok with Mila?” You asked, sitting next to Rafael in front of Mr. Boatwright’s desk.
“Mila is fine. She’s incredibly bright and sweet. We all adore her. She’s just a joy to have in class,” Miss Powell smiled, but you could tell by her expression there was something more. Being a detective made you an expert in reading faces. It was a skill that definitely came in handy.
“So what’s the problem?” Rafael chimed in. “I’m pretty sure you didn’t call us for a meeting just to sing our daughter’s praises.
“Well recently she’s been exhibiting strange behavior,” Miss Powell replied.
You knitted your eyebrows in concern, “Strange behavior? What type of strange behavior?”
The two faculty members exchanged a look before Mr. Boatwright continued, “Mr. and Mrs. Barba, do you kiss or are you overly affectionate in front of your children?”
“I beg your pardon,” Rafael scoffed.
You placed a hand on his leg, effectively silencing him, “My husband and I are loving with each other in front of our children, but we believe in creating a warm and nurturing household for our family. What does that have to do with our daughter?”
“It seems as if Mila may be mimicking your behavior. We’ve caught her kissing fellow students during class and recess,” Miss Powell explained, wringing her hands. You were beginning to suspect Mr. Boatwright was here for moral support for his nervous employee. “And while we don’t want to stifle a child’s unique personality. Some of our parent volunteers have raised some concerns and we would like to refrain from the kids kissing each other, especially during cold and flu season.”
Rafael retorted, “With all due respect, I’m an ADA and my wife is a detective for SVU. If anyone understands what is considered proper behavior for our daughter, it’s us. We may kiss and be affectionate with each other, but I can assure you, we are always appropriate.”
Miss Powell cleared her throat, looking anywhere but at you and your husband, “Well in addition to the kissing, Mila also has been sharing some interesting stories. Yesterday during show and tell, she shared with the class that her Mommy had a bruise on her neck from a fight with a vacuum cleaner.”
“Dear God,” Rafael mumbled, turning beet red, pinching the bridge of his nose. The ADA silently wished the floor would open up and swallow him whole.
“That was a one time thing,” you interjected. “It was actually pretty funny. The vacuum cleaner was the first thing I could think of and...ummm…” you stopped rambling upon seeing the unamused faces of Mr. Boatwright and Miss Powell. It was almost as if you and Rafael were the ones in trouble. “Guess you had to be there,” you mumbled, blushing profusely as you stared at your feet.
“Thank you for bringing this to our attention. We will speak to our daughter about this matter,” Rafael replied. “May we see her please?”
“Of course,” Miss Powell left to get Mila, leaving you, your husband, and Mr. Boatwright in the room. An awkward silence hung in the air.
“Mami! Papi!” Mila exclaimed.
“Hi, muñequita,” Rafael hugged his daughter, sitting her on his lap.
You leaned forward to meet her gaze, “Mila, your teacher was telling us that you’ve been kissing your classmates. Is that true?”
“Yep!” The little girl nodded her head.
“Why have you been doing that, mi amor?” Rafael asked.
“Cause Mami said that’s how we show people we care about them. I want my friends to know I Iike them. And I see you and Mami kiss all the time. On the couch, in the kitchen, in your room, in the car,” Mila continued to list off the places she had caught you and Rafael kissing. You glanced back at the principal, nervously smiling at the man as he quirked an eyebrow at you.
“You’re right I did say that, but you should only kiss people who are special to you, people you love, like Mami and Papi. Not everyone wants to be kissed,” you gently explained.
The little girl shrugged her shoulders, “I think I good kisser.”
Rafael bit back a laugh, “I’m sure you are, but let’s take a break from the kissing in school, ok?”
Mila looked around at all the faces in the room, suddenly embarrassed, her large green eyes becoming shiny with tears, “Am I in trouble?”
“No, muñequita,” Rafael hugged her close as she wrapped her arms around her father’s neck. “You are most certainly not in trouble,” he glared at Mr. Boatwright and Miss Powell, daring them to interject.
After several reassurances that Mila would not be kissing anyone else in school, you and Rafael left the office with your daughter in tow. Walking down the hallway, you bumped into Fin’s son and grandson.
“Ken! What a surprise! It’s so good to see you,” you gave him a big hug. “It’s been ages.”
“It’s good to see you too. How are the twins doing?”
As you were telling Ken all about Rory and Ben’s latest antics, your husband watched Mila’s interaction with Jaden. His daughter blushed and smiled brightly at the little boy. Jaden giggled and waved in response, hiding behind his father’s pant leg, peeking out every so often to look at Mila. Your husband was so caught up in their interaction, he didn’t hear you calling his name.
“Rafael? Are you awake?” You playfully smacked his shoulder.
“Sorry, did you say something?”
“I said, we’ll have to have Ken and Jaden over for a playdate soon.”
The ADA gave you and Ken a tight lipped smiled, “Absolutely.”
“Sounds great,” Ken said. “We better get going, but I’ll text you later.”
You and your husband waved goodbye to Ken and his son. As you were turning to leave Mila suddenly let go of your hand and went over to Jaden. She tapped on his shoulder to get his attention, nervously tugging on the hem of her dress before innocently kissing his cheek.
“Mila!” Rafael exclaimed, his eyes as big as saucers, a look of pure shock on his face. His precious baby girl, his muñequita, his Mila, kissing another boy. You and Ken stood there, frozen, not quite knowing what to do.
Jaden blushed and kissed Mila back in return. “Wow,” she whispered.
As fate would have it, Mr. Boatwright came into the hallway, witnessing the entire scene. “I give up. They don’t pay me enough for this,” he sighed, shaking his head and turning back to his office.
“Umm...Mila, sweetie...let’s go,” you said, finally finding your voice.
“Bye Mila,” Jaden waved.
“Bye Jaden,” Mila ran back to you and Rafael.
Ken laughed, “Ok...well... I guess we’ll see you guys later.”
The little boy went back to his father, looking one more time at Mila, “Daddy, I like her.”
Ken nodded his head, “I can see that, pal.”
As Ken and Jaden walked away, you knelt down to get on your daughter’s eye level, “What did we just say about kissing other people in school.”
“But Mami, you said only kiss people who are special to us and Jaden’s special to me,” she softly said, her cheeks turning a rosy shade of pink.
A bittersweet wave of emotion washed over you, your baby girl was growing up. You kissed her cheek, pulling her into a tight hug as you fought back the sting of tears, silently pleading with her to stay little for just a while longer, “Come on, amorcita. Let’s go home.”
In the car you glanced over at your husband, who still had a shocked and sad look on his face. Rafael wasn’t ready for another man to enter Mila’s life, even if the man in question was 5 years old. “Are you ok, babe?” You squeezed his knee reassuringly.
“I’m just debating what was worse, being judged on our parenting skills by the PTA or watching our daughter act like a one woman kissing booth. How do you feel about homeschooling?”
“Relax, mi amor. I think it’s just a phase,” you turned your head to look at Mila in the backseat. The little girl stared out the window with a lovesick, dreamy look on her face. It was the same face you had whenever your husband kissed you. Call it woman’s intuition, but you had a feeling this was not the last time you or Rafael would catch Mila kissing Jaden.
I have to say, I re-did this story so many times. I just couldn’t decide what to do with it (should I make it fluffy? Dramatic?) so I’m worried that it’s not my best work and for that I apologize. ❤️
It was a scorching hot summer day. The air conditioner and extra fans you had brought into the living room drowned out the sound of the morning news show playing in the background while you sat on the couch opening a baby gift. “Oh my God!!!” You shrieked. “Rafael! Look!!!”
You heard footsteps rushing down the stairs, your husband nearly tripping over his own feet as he ran into the living room. “What!? What is it?! Is it time?”
“No, it’s not that. Look at these cute baby suspenders my friend got for the twins!” You held up two pairs of matching pink and blue suspenders.
Rafael let out a sigh of relief, clutching his chest, “Cariño, you scared me. I thought you were in labor.”
“Sorry, babe. I just got excited. Aren’t they cute, though? Now the twins will be just like their Papi,” you cooed.
“Adorable,” he smiled and sat next to you on the couch. “Are you sure you’re going to be ok today?”
“Don’t worry about us. We’ll be fine,” you rubbed your protruding belly. Although you had wanted to work up until your due date, you were exhausted, uncomfortable and it was becoming increasingly difficult to get around. At your doctor’s request, you had been put on modified bed rest for the past week.
“I’m just saying, I can work from home today if you need me.”
You narrowed your eyes at your husband. “Rafael, I don’t like people hovering over me. Get out while you can,” you teased, looking down at your stomach. “After these two come, you’ll be stuck at home for six weeks.”
He leaned down to kiss your belly twice before placing a kiss on your lips, “You know I never feel stuck with you. I can’t wait to be home with these little ones.”
“I know, sweetie.” You ran your fingers through this hair and straightened his tie when Mila walked into the room. You bit back a laugh when you saw your daughter. She had placed a pillow under her t-shirt and was cradling her faux baby bump.
“I’m on bed rest too!” She sighed, collapsing onto the couch next to you.
Rafael chuckled, “Ok, I’ll leave you ladies to it.” He kissed you and Mila before getting up to finish getting ready for work.
You walked into your bedroom as the sun began to dip below the horizon. Your day had been spent, folding baby clothes, spending some quality mommy-daughter time with Mila. Sitting on your bed, you felt a cramp radiate from your lower back. You had been experiencing Braxton Hicks contractions sporadically the past week, but today they were becoming more frequent. Your whole body tensed. You closed your eyes and let out a deep breath.
“Mommy, ok?” Mila asked, climbing onto your bed.
“I’m fine, baby.” You ran your fingers through her curls. “Do you want to watch a movie before dinner?”
“Yeah!” She jumped out of bed and grabbed a movie, choosing your wedding DVD. She had recently discovered it when you moved into your new apartment. The little girl loved watching her parents, seeing all of her family dance around at the reception, to her it looked like a real life fairytale. Mila snuggled up to your side as you started the movie. “Mommy, you look like a princess!” She said when you came onto the screen.
“Thank you, mi amor. Someday, that’s going to be you and Papi is going to walk you down the aisle,” you kissed the top of her head, watching the movie as Rafael appeared on the screen.
He had tears in his eyes and the biggest, brightest smile as he watched you walk down the aisle towards him. You smiled back, practically running into his arms when you came up to the altar. The four horsemen of the apocalypse could have galloped into that church but neither of you would have noticed, all you could focus on was each other.
Mila was sound asleep, laying on your leg, by the time you and Rafael had your first dance. You didn’t have the heart to move her. Your eyes became shiny with tears watching you and your husband sway on the dance floor. With all the chaos that life brought, the everyday mundane tasks, the exhaustion of being a parent, watching your wedding movie was a nice reminder of the love you and Rafael had for each other and the life you had created out of that love.
As if on cue, your husband came into the bedroom, a smile tugged at his lips when he saw what you were watching. “That was a great day,” he softly said.
“It really was,” you reached out for your him. He took your hand, placing a kiss on your palm and sat next to you.
Winding his arm around your shoulders, he kissed you deeply. “I love you,” he whispered against your lips.
“I love you too,” you pulled him closer, returning the kiss when you felt a sharp cramp again. You gasped and clutched your stomach.
Rafael knitted his brows in concern, “Y/N? Are you ok?”
Before you could even respond, you felt a pop followed by a trickle of water, a wet spot forming on the crotch of your leggings. “Raf, my water just broke.”
Ten minutes after you made your announcement, you were sitting in the passenger seat of the car. Rafael sped towards the hospital, one hand on the steering wheel, the other holding yours as you breathed through your contractions.
“My mom is going to meet us at the hospital and pick up Mila,” he said, trying to keep calm.
You nodded your head, doubling over and groaning in pain when a particularly intense contraction hit.
“Mommy? Is it time for babies?” Mila asked from the backseat.
You looked back at your daughter, “Si, muñequita, the babies are coming. You’re going to be a big sister.”
A nurse brought over a wheelchair when you arrived at the hospital. “Wait right here, we’ll get a room ready for you,” she said.
“Ohhh ow ow! Oh God!” You winced and held your stomach.
“Mommy, I kiss your boo boo and make it all better,” Mila bent down to kiss your stomach. “It didn’t work,” she mumbled when she saw you were still in pain.
“Breathe, mi amor,” Rafael began to breathe deeply, encouraging you to follow his pattern. You mimicked his breathing even Mila joined in, the three of you inhaling and exhaling when his phone began to buzz. “That’s my mom,” he replied. “Come on, Mila. Let’s go see abuela.”
Your daughter vehemently shook her head and clutched your arm, “No! I’m scared! Wanna stay with you and Mommy.”
You breathed through another contraction and cupped your daughter’s face, trying not to show her how much pain you were in. “Sweetie, I need you to be Mommy’s brave girl and go to abuela. I’m going to see you later, ok?”
“Pinky Promise?” She looked up at you with big green eyes.
“Of course, amorcita.” You kissed her cheeks and locked your pinky with hers before Rafael took her to Lucia.
As you were waiting for Rafael to come back, another wheelchair was brought next to you. Your eyes widened in surprise when you recognized the woman. “Rita?! What are you doing here?”
“What does it look like I’m doing here? Handing out lollipops!” She clutched her swollen stomach in pain. “Oh God, it feels like I’m shitting out of my vagina, get this child out of me NOW!”
“Congratulations, counselor. Is it Buchanan’s? I didn’t know you two were still an item.”
“Well wonders never cease, detective. I hope this baby doesn’t have as big a head as he does or I’m in trouble,” she growled as a nurse wheeled her away.
Rafael came back and placed a hand on your shoulder, his eyes following the woman screaming in pain being led into the maternity ward. “Was that Rita?”
“Yep. A Buchanan/Calhoun baby, that kid is going to rule the world-”
“Or destroy it,” he added.
You gasped in pain, digging your nails into your husband’s arm, “This is a bad one.” Finally a nurse led you down the hall to your room. Rafael walked beside you, squeezing your hand, unable to stop the excitement he felt at meeting the twins.
By the time you were taken to the room and had your vitals checked, your labor had progressed significantly. You were hooked up to a fetal monitor so the doctor could watch the twins’ heartbeats and follow your contractions.
Rafael was an incredible coach. He was patient and gentle, rubbing your back in soothing circles, wiping the sweat off your brow, all while telling you how amazing you were. When Mila was born he didn’t get the chance to support you through your labor and he was determined to make up for it.
You let out a long low groan, squeezing your husband’s hand so tight, his fingers were practically purple. “Fuck, I forgot how much this hurts!”
The contractions were becoming more intense and closer together. “Breathe, Y/N,” Rafael pushed your hair back, inhaling and exhaling with you. “Are you sure you don’t want an epidural?”
You shook your head, “No, I went without meds for Mila. I can do it again. I just wish these two would hurry up.” You placed your hands on your stomach, silently willing your body to give birth already. “Babe, can you get me more ice chips. I want to take advantage before my next contraction hits.”
“Of course, cariño.” He brought you ice chips just when you were hit with a particular bad contraction. You sobbed in pain, clutching onto him as your only source of comfort. “You’re doing great. I’m right here,” he rested his forehead against yours, holding you close.
“How are we feeling?” The doctor asked when she entered the room, entirely too perky for you at that moment.
“In excruciating pain,” you gritted your teeth, whining through a contraction.
She checked the fetal monitor before turning to you, her expression serious, “Mr. and Mrs. Barba, I’m afraid that the monitor is showing some signs of fetal distress.
“Fetal distress. What does that mean?” Rafael asked.
“It means Baby B’s heart rate is dropping. Most likely due to pressure on the umbilical cord. We’re going to give you oxygen and have you lay on your left side, to take the pressure off your major blood vessels. If the heart rate doesn’t pick up, I advise that we do a c-section.” She saw the frightened look on your face and gave you a reassuring smile, “Don’t worry, Mrs. Barba. We’re going to take good care of you and your babies.”
A nurse helped to position your body and provided you an oxygen mask. Tears pricked the corner of your eyes as you breathed deeply into the mask, groaning with every intense contraction. “Raf, I’m scared. I need you.”
Rafael held your hand and cradled your stomach with the other. “Everything will be fine. I’ll be by your side the whole time, I promise,” he whispered.
The baby’s heart rate didn’t come back up and you were quickly being wheeled away into surgery. A nurse stopped Rafael when you reached the operating room, handing him scrubs to change into. You panicked when you lost his grip and reached out for him, “Rafael!?”
“I’ll be right there, honey,” he called out after you. He changed as quickly as possible while the doctor was preparing you for surgery.
You laid on the table, watching as they put up the divider sheet, tears pooling in your eyes. Rafael came into the room and sat by your side. His face half covered by a surgical mask. If it wasn’t for his green eyes, you wouldn’t have recognized him.
“Rafi,” you whimpered, your body shaking from a combination of adrenaline and the spinal anesthesia.
“Shhhh, it’s ok. Rory and Ben are going to be here real soon.” He wiped the tears from your eyes as you listened to the doctor tell you what she was going to do. “I wonder who the twins will look like.” He said, trying to take your mind off the fact that your stomach was being sliced open.
You closed your eyes, trying to envision your children, “I bet they’ll have your eyes. Those Barba genes are strong plus you have the most beautiful eyes. They were the first thing I noticed about you.”
“Just as long as they have your smile. It lights up a room,” he gently stroked your cheek.
You opened your eyes and smiled as you met your husband’s gaze. Letting out a shaky breath, you felt pressure and a firm tug followed by a baby’s cry. “Here’s your baby boy,” the doctor held up a tiny pink squirming baby, crying at the top of his lungs.
The corners of Rafael’s eyes crinkled from above his mask as he smiled, his eyes glossy with tears, he rested his forehead against your temple while you both listened to the cries of your child. “We have a son,” he softly said.
A nurse smiled brightly and placed the infant in your husband’s arms. He leaned closer to you, holding the baby up to your face, his tiny fist brushing up against your cheek. “Benjamin, my beautiful baby boy.” You whispered, tears streaming down your face.
“He’s perfect,” Rafael said, unable to stop his own tears from flowing.
Seconds later, you choked out a sob, when you heard the cries of your second child, a little baby girl. The baby wailed, her eyes closed, fists shaking, unhappy to be ripped from her warm cocoon.
“Shhhh, it’s ok my darling, Mommy’s here,” you cooed as the nurse placed the baby girl in your husband’s arms. “Aurora, my sweet little angel. They’re so perfect.”
“They’re beautiful,” Rafael smiled down at the babies balanced in his arms. His heart swelled at the sound of his children’s cries, until it shattered into a million pieces. He felt as if he was being reborn, experiencing a love that compared to nothing else on this earth. It was the same love he encountered when he first held Mila. All the accolades he had achieved in his life, paled in comparison to that precious perfect moment when he saw his children come into this world.
Two nurses took the babies so they could be weighed and measured. Rafael refused to leave until you were stitched up. “You were amazing. I’m so proud of you, mi amor,” he whispered. “I love you so much.”
“I love you too.” You leaned into his touch, happy and relieved to have brought two healthy babies into this world with the love of your life by your side.
While Rafael went to get Mila, you were wheeled into recovery. Aurora and Benjamin laid on your chest, fast asleep, holding onto each other’s hand. Aurora yawned in her sleep, snuggling closer to her brother. Your heart just about burst. How could a yawn be so cute?
After having Mila, you didn’t think it was possible to love more, to love harder. You didn’t think your heart had any more room. Oh how wrong you were. A wave of absolute euphoria washed over you, looking down at the two little lives that you had grown and nourished with your body for the past nine months. An intense love poured out of you, creating an invisible line that connected your heart to those of your children, forming a fierce and unbreakable bond.
You gently kissed the tops of their heads and inhaled their sweet scent, admiring their tiny features. Both babies had heads full of dark hair, perfect pink pouts, and chubby cherub cheeks. “Look at all that hair, no wonder you guys gave me so much heartburn,” you mused.
Rafael poked his head through the door, “Honey, I brought someone who wants to see you.” He led Mila into the room. She was wearing her “Big Sister” t-shirt, carrying two little teddy bears for the twins.
“Mommy!!!” She shouted and ran towards you.
Rafael picked her up and placed her on the bed. “Be gentle, muñequita.”
“Hi my sweet girl! I missed you!” You exclaimed, handing one of the babies over to Rafael so you could hug your daughter with your free arm. She looked so big compared to the twins. You couldn’t believe how fast your little girl was growing. Time truly did fly by
“I miss you too!” She leaned forward to gaze at the tiny bundle in your arms, her eyes widening, a big smile firmly planted on her face. “Hi baby!”
“Mila, this is your baby brother, Benjamin.” You held the infant closer for her to see as Rafael sat on the other side of the bed with your little baby girl. “And Papi is holding your baby sister, Aurora.”
Mila looked between the two babies, “They so tiny. Like my dolls.” She exclaimed. “Can I hold them? Peez!”
“Ok, sweetie, but be careful,” you put a pillow on Mila’s lap before gently placing Benjamin in her arms, keeping your hands under hers to help support the baby. “Put your hand under his neck, mija.”
“You cute baby,” Mila said. “I got you a teddy bear.” The little boy stared up at his big sister, opening and closing his mouth several times before scrunching his face up, letting out a little sneeze. “Bless you!” She giggled, giving him a kiss on the forehead.
Watching your oldest child hold her sibling, you couldn’t help the tears forming in your eyes. You locked eyes with your husband to see that he was crying too. “I love you,” he silently mouthed.
“I love you too,” you mouthed back.
Your hospital room was packed with visitors. The squad, your parents, Carmen, and Lucia all came to see the new Barba babies, even Mrs. Rojas stopped by. The twins were passed from person to person, everyone “oohing” and “awwing” over the bundles of joy.
“Hiya gorgeous,” Sonny cooed, cradling Aurora in his arms. “You look just like your mommy.”
“Ok, Carisi, it’s my turn. Quit hogging the baby,” Olivia teased as he handed the infant over to her. “Hi Rory, you’re so precious,” she smiled and softly stroked her cheek. The tiny baby stretched her limbs, wiggling in the woman’s arms. “Y/N, she really does look like you.”
“And Ben looks just like his Papi,” Lucia said as the little boy wrapped his hand around his abuela’s finger. “Dios Mio! Que lindo! I feel like I’ve gone back in time holding this handsome boy!” She placed Benjamin upright on her chest, gently bouncing him up and down.
You could’ve sworn you saw Fin wipe away a stray tear when you asked him to be the babies’ godfather. While Amanda and Carmen were overjoyed when you asked if they would be godmothers to the twins.
Amid the excitement, a nurse came in to check on you and the babies. “Five more minutes and then visiting hours are over,” she announced.
“Would you mind taking a picture of us?” You asked, handing her your phone.
“Ok, and then everyone needs to leave. Mommy, Daddy, and babies need their rest.”
Everyone gathered around for the photo. You smiled so hard your cheeks hurt. Your son lay in your arms while Rafael held your daughter with Mila sitting between you both. The love you felt surrounded by your family and friends was overwhelming. For years to come, the picture taken from that day would hang in your house, a moment frozen in time that you would remember for the rest of your life.
You were exhausted by the end of the day. Laying in bed with Rafael, you rested your head on your husband’s shoulder while he was finishing up a crossword puzzle from The New York Times. He was spending the night at the hospital with you and the twins.
“Hole,” you said, glancing down at his puzzle.
He peered at you from above his reading glasses, “Excuse me?”
“32 across, evidence left by a moth. The answer is “hole.”
“I would have gotten that,” he mumbled, nudging your shoulder.
“Not with the answer you put for 25 down,” you quipped.
He playfully tapped you on the head with the newspaper before tossing it aside along with his glasses. Rubbing his face with his hands, he let out a long breath. Although not nearly as tired as you were, it had been a long day for the ADA.
“By the way...you looked sexy in those scrubs they made you wear earlier,” you smirked. “If I hadn’t just given birth, I would ask you to play doctor with me.”
Rafael chuckled, “I beg your pardon, but are you hitting on me?”
“Damn right, I am.” You kissed his jawline, his scruff tickling your lips.
He quirked an eyebrow at you, “May I remind you that I’m a happily married man with three kids and a smoking hot wife.”
“She won’t mind, she told me so herself,” you teased.
He laughed and wrapped his arm around your shoulder as you nuzzled against his chest. “What a day,” he softly said.
“I know...one of the best days of my life,” you yawned, your eyelids feeling heavy.
Rafael looked over at the twins sleeping soundly in their bassinets next to the bed. “I can’t believe they’re actually here, that we made these two perfect little humans.”
You softly snored in response, already fast asleep. He smiled at you, stroking your cheek and kissing your forehead. “You gave me the most beautiful babies, mi amor,” he whispered before gently getting out of your bed. He slept on a cot next to you, never leaving your side, just like he had promised.
