「 closed starter 」 grayson and campbell @immcrtalsx
takes place after a self para not yet posted.
SPOILER ALERT: the carr-hall duo is now a TRIO!
THE ROOM HAD FINALLY GONE QUIET. not the kind of quiet that felt empty — the kind that settled in after something life-altering, soft and almost sacred. grayson hadn’t moved much from the chair at campbell’s bedside, her hand still loosely wrapped in his like he didn’t quite trust the world not to take something from him the second he let go. his thumb brushed slow, absent circles against her skin, eyes flicking between her and the small bundle resting nearby like he was still trying to convince himself this was real. that they were real. “ hey, cici… ” his voice dropped, softer than anyone ever really got to hear it. careful. reverent. he leaned forward just slightly, enough to see her better without disturbing either of them. “ you picked a hell of a way to make an entrance, you know that? had us waiting on you like you were deciding if we were worth it. ” a quiet breath of a laugh slipped past him, eyes warm despite the exhaustion lining his face.
his gaze drifted back to campbell, something deeper settling there — pride, love, a kind of awe he didn’t even try to hide. “ your mom though… ” he murmured, voice gentling even more. “ she’s the strongest person i know. you’re gonna hear that a lot, so you better get used to it. she fought for you. for us. every second. ” his fingers tightened just slightly around campbell’s hand, like g r o u n d i n g himself in her. “ we’ve been waiting for you, courtney celeste, longer than you’ll ever understand. ” his eyes softened, something almost fragile breaking through the steady calm he usually carried. “ you don’t have to be anything but exactly who you are, alright? we’ve got you. always. ”
he leaned back just enough to look between them again, a quiet, disbelieving smile pulling at his lips. “ you’ve got a pretty incredible mom to learn from… and i’ll spend the rest of my life trying to keep up with the two of you. ”
