colt and ryalnd twins… ryland getting the marriage invitation…. looking at colt and reader and just seeing himself in some bizarre universe where he wasnt a coward and told reader about his feelings for her………. hmmmmm much to think about here
colt and reader having a baby and colt is still shooting so reader is home with the baby and ryland offers to help and the baby looks like colt and by extension and for a bit ryland can pretends its his family, his wife and child OUHGHGH
AUD THIS HAS ME WAILING AND GNASHING MY TEETH IN AGONY.
You answer the door and let him in, and immediately you are whirling around the living room trying to pick up toys, apologizing for the state of the house and the state of you (you are running on 2 hours of sleep and haven't showered in 5 days, and you are wearing sweatpants and a shirt with drool stains on it) (he has to stop himself from assuring you that you look beautiful) (because you are his brother's wife, and that would be inappropriate).
you let him hold the baby, when she wakes up, so that you can shower and clean. the showering and cleaning does not happen, because you hand the baby to him, and flop down on the couch next to him, and it does not take very long for you to fall asleep.
the baby's eyes are squeezed shut. the baby squirms, as though intuiting somehow that he is not her mother, but settles pretty quickly after some shushing. the baby wraps one tiny hand around his pinky finger.
you're still napping, on the couch next to him. your head settles on his shoulder. he turns, just slightly, and—not even a kiss, really. just his lips, brushing the top of your head. he lets himself stay like that, for a few seconds. mouth against your hair (the last time he did that was in a frat house in San Diego). baby in his arms (a baby that looks like you) (like you and like him).
it would be a perfect moment, if only everything were different.
