It’s not that Monica was a fussy baby.
It’s just that she seemed to need absolutely no sleep at all.
“Shh, hey, go back to bed. I’ve got her,” Carol whispers to her one night, absently kissing Maria’s neck as she reaches for whimpering baby Monica.
Maria freezes at the intimacy of the gesture.
Sure, she’s thought about it. About the woman basically raising her daughter with her. She’s thought about it, about her, for years, truth be told. But the prospect of ruining what they have, of Carol not feeling the same way and exiting her life, of them trying but it not working, them not working… that’s all scarier than testing new aerospace tech could ever be.
But then, here’s Carol, padding over from the couch wearing nothing but briefs and one of Maria’s old flannels, sleepy-eyed and groggy, kissing her neck easily, like they’re already lovers, and telling her to go back to bed because she’ll take care of the baby.
She wonders if Carol will even remember her half-asleep gesture in the morning.
She doesn’t know whether to hope yes or to hope no.
She just knows that she really, really wants to take her up on her offer.
“Are you sure?” she asks, because tired as she is, she knows Carol isn’t faring any better in the sleep department. She adjusts her scarf - Monica has a habit of tugging at the silk wrapping - and watches Carol lean forward to nuzzle her nose into the baby’s face.
“Absolutely. Come here, Monica. Come here. You wanna tell me all about what’s wrong? Or you don’t have to say anything at all, and I can tell you all about the stars. Would you like that? Hm? Would little Lieutenant Trouble like that?”
She covers the baby in kisses as she takes the small bundle out of Maria’s hands.
Desperate as her body is for bed, Maria can’t help but stop and stare at the way Carol’s wavy hair falls over her face; the way baby Monica reaches out and grabs a tiny handful of it; the way Carol coos and rubs their noses together, making huffing sounds that send Monica from whining to giggling.
Carol Danvers makes her daughter giggle at ungodly hours of the night.
Carol Danvers could do so many things to her at ungodly hours of the night.
She shivers and thanks her once again, attacks Monica’s little face with kisses once again, before surrendering and heading back to her bedroom.
She wishes Carol would join her, once Monica finally yields to sleep.
One day, maybe. One day.