Two years later.

"We're going to be late," Kyle said, sleep still evident in his voice. "Not only that, but Annalise is going to wake up any minute now."

Carson groaned, snuggling against Kyle deeper. His husband was probably right, but it didn't hurt to try anyway. Kyle looked really good, all sleep rumpled and naked under the sheets. Kyle was beautiful all the time, but right now, with the way the light filtering through the windows hit him, Kyle looked incredibly tempting.

How could anyone blame Carson from trying to touch more of his mate?

"It won't take long. I just want to suck you off. Won't even knot you," Carson rumbled.

Kyle laughed, facing Carson now, his fingers trailing over Carson's shoulder. "That's a dirty lie. You love knotting me," Kyle replied. "Just a blow job, he says. Next thing I know, your cock is in me, and we're tied together."

Raising a brow, Carson tickled Kyle's sides. "You complaining?"

Kyle wiggled against him, his giggles filling the room. "Have I ever complained? Come on, you know I love it when you're in me," he said in between fits of laughter.

Carson stopped, caressing Kyle's sides instead. "It won't take long, baby. Come here, I've missed you."

"I distinctly remember you being inside me last night," Kyle said, biting his lip. He looked so delectable, that for a moment, Carson forgot what he was going to say next, distracted.

Carson kissed him, slow and deep, like they had nowhere else to be. "That was hours ago. You know I need you all the time."

"Sap," Kyle said. Then a beat later. "Horny sap."

A choked laughter came out of Carson. "Your horny sap, though."

They kissed again, but the kiss didn't last long, the baby monitor crackling in the background.

"I think it's your turn, daddy," Kyle said, pinching Carson's shoulder lightly.

Carson made a face, groaning. "Don't call me that, not when I was just thinking about having my dick inside you."

"Not into daddy kink, huh? I don't know, you seem to like--" Kyle was grinning mischievously, and Carson just had to kiss his smirk away.

Annalise made a noise, her cries loud through the baby monitor.

"Okay, okay, I'm going. But we're going to table this for later."

Kyle pursed his lips, smiling. "The daddy talk? Sure."

Carson stepped out of the bed, slapping Kyle's ass soundly. "Careful there, baby."

"Go," Kyle said, still clearly amused. "I'll be there with you in a sec. I'll make coffee for us downstairs."

Nodding, Carson walked to the dresser and dressed in comfortable, casual clothing. "Sounds good."

He made his way next door, to his daughter's room. It had only been a few weeks since Annalise started sleeping in her own bedroom. In the past, she'd been sleeping in a crib in Kyle and Carson's room. It had taken a lot of convincing for Kyle to let Annalise sleep next door, but they had a good rhythm now. Kyle and Carson slept better, and they felt secure knowing they had a state of the art baby monitor and camera set up in Annalise's room.

"Hey there, baby girl," Carson greeted his daughter softly. He picked her up from her crib, cradling her gently in his arms.

She was still crying, but her cries were starting to subside as Carson rocked her. She didn't talk yet, just a few half-formed words here and there.

"How did you sleep, baby girl? You hungry?" Carson booped her nose lightly. "Don't you look cute today."

Annalise giggled, making grabby hands at Carson. "Guh guh,” she babbled at Carson, her small fists closing around Carson's finger.

She's growing bigger and bigger every day. Carson used to be afraid of carrying her, because she looked so tiny, so fragile. But now his baby was getting older, and Carson wasn't sure he was ready for her to outgrow him.

Annalise was sixteen months old, and the smartest little cookie Carson had the pleasure of knowing. He loved her fiercely, and he felt so privileged to be one of her fathers.

He placed her back down in the crib, and Annalise raised her hands up for him, making a low noise of protest.

"I know, baby girl, but daddy's gotta make you a bottle. Give me a second, okay?" Carson kissed the top of her head. He opened the small mini fridge in the corner of the room, and fixed a bottle for Annalise. The mini fridge was one of the best decisions they made as a couple, reducing the amount of time they had to go back and forth between the kitchen.

Once he had the bottle ready, he picked up Annalise again, holding her against his hip. He fed her the bottle, and she grabbed at it enthusiastically.

Carson heard a click behind him, and he turned towards the door to see the source.

"You guys look adorable," Kyle said toothily, hold up his phone.

Kyle stepped into the room, walking towards Carson and Annalise. "I love seeing you with her." His voice got softer, more wistful.

Carson pressed a kiss on his cheek. "Thank you. Have I ever told you that? Thank you for her--for this, for our family."

Wrapping an arm around him, Kyle hugged Carson, and by extension, Annalise. "Sap," Kyle said again, but his eyes were warm, fond. "I love you and Annalise so much. You two have made my life so much brighter."

"Who's the sap now?" Carson teased.

"Funny. Should we take our baby girl downstairs and get coffee ourselves? I've got a pot brewing."

Carson nodded. "What do you think, baby girl? Wanna go downstairs?"

Annalise was focused only on her bottle though, and Carson chuckled at her singlemindedness. He let himself be ushered downstairs by Kyle, and he followed his husband to the breakfast bar.

Setting Annalise down in her high chair, Carson took the chair beside her, rubbing her back in small, comforting circles as she drank from her baby bottle.

Kyle placed a steaming cup of coffee in front of him. "Here you go, daddy," Kyle said, winking.

"What did I tell you about that, baby?" Carson replied, raising a brow. "You're asking for a spanking."

"Promises, promises," Kyle said, grinning. "We have to go to your parents' house."

Carson had almost forgotten about that. "Think they'd let us get away with skipping it and staying inside the house instead?"

"Sure, but you have to be the one to break the news to your mother." Kyle leaned against the breakfast bar in front of him. "You're on your own there, baby."

"So that's a no, then," Carson groused. He loved his parents, he really did. But he'd been away on a business trip the last couple of days, and all he wanted to do was spend the day with his husband and their daughter.

Still, Carson supposed he should consider himself lucky. His family loved Kyle, and doted on Annalise. He still remembered the family dinner a couple of years ago, when they'd told their families about their relationship.

Carson expected shock and a lot of questions from his parents. Instead, his mom had said, "finally, I thought you'd make poor Kyle wait forever," and gave Kyle a kiss on the cheek. His father hugged Kyle warmly, and the rest was history.

"What are you thinking about? You look so far away," Kyle said, cutting into his thoughts.

Carson took a drink from his coffee. "Nothing, just remembering the time we told our families about us."

A small smile curved on Kyle's lips. "That was a good night."

"One of the best," Carson said, stretching his hand over the table to take Kyle's in his. He toyed with the platinum ring on Kyle's finger. "Not as good as our wedding, but close."

"You really are getting soft in your old age," Kyle joked, but he was still beaming. "Any regrets?"

"Never," Carson said firmly. "Love seeing this on your finger, knowing you're mine forever."

"Caveman," Kyle said. "You have one in yours, too. That means you're mine, too."

Carson squeezed their hands together. "I've been yours since day one. It just took me a while to figure it out."

Leaning over the bar, Kyle kissed him soundly. "I love you."

Carson looked at Annalise beside him, at Kyle, who gazed back at him with the most loving, warm eyes, and Carson's chest bloomed.

"I love you, too," Carson said against his lips. "Forever."

He had everything he needed, right here, right now.

The end.