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It was a breezy summer afternoon in the city as they walked towards Fenway. Nora swung happily from both of her father’s arms, the men swinging her up into the air. Her giggles surrounded them as the smell of hot dogs and crisp summer met their faces. Nick couldn’t even try to get the grin off his face if he tried. He looked over at his husband and smirked while Kelly winked back.
Nick looked down at Nora beside him and tugged on one of the two braids going down her back.
Nora swiped at his hand as she leaned closer to Kelly, Nick chuckling at the sight.
Kelly had perfected all types of braids – must have been a navy thing – and had woven her curly red locks with intricate blue polka dotted ribbons. He even added the black lines under her eyes to block the sun. It went almost too perfectly with her brand new jersey that skimmed her knees.
“Not my braids daddy! Papa made them perfect,” Nora squeaked as she clutched Kelly around the stomach.
“Yeah daddy, I worked hard on those braids,” Kelly singsonged back at Nick. He just rolled his eyes halfheartedly and held his hands up in a mock surrender.
“Now you remember all the chants I taught you right Slick.” Nick asked Nora as she bounced a few feet away from them, taking in the crowd around them.
“Of course daddy! I’m not a baby anymore, I’m already five years old.”
Kelly snorted at the response which had Nick slapping his arm lightly. Kelly just chuckled harder.
Nora had gotten her nickname Slick when she was three, after a weekend that Ty and Zane had looked after her. Somehow without them knowing, she had climbed out of her playpen in the book store, gotten all the way to the front of the store, and propped herself in a chair and began to watch the cars in the window. When Zane had finally calmed himself and Ty down after having a minor heart attack after noticing she was gone, they took a picture of the curious girl and sent it to Nick.
“How could I ever forget,” Nick called as he entwined his fingers with his husband’s fingers. Kelly just beamed at Nick and swung their hands happily between them.
~~~~~
The stadium was packed that friday night. Nick rubbed another coating of sunblock on his own and Nora’s ears. Nora had most certainly taken his complexion instead of his husband’s, her cheeked filled with freckles already in her short life. She squirmed around in his lap until she finally sat still long enough for Nick to finish.
“Daddy where is papa,” Nora asked for the fifth time since finding their seats. Nick glanced around himself looking for the man in question.
“I’m sure he will be back soon baby,” Nick kissed her forehead before she squirmed again in his lap and started watching the people already on the field. Nick continued to watch the crowd wondering where exactly his husband had gone off to when suddenly he noticed a nearly stumbling man coming down the steps holding mounds of snacks. Nick rolled his eyes as Kelly started scooting into their row of seats.
“Wow, are you sure you didn’t want to just buy the entire stand?” Nick smirked as he watched Kelly flounder putting the drinks on the ground.
“Yeah okay babe, next time I won’t get you a beer,” Kelly stuck his tongue out and Nick chuckled to himself. Kelly handed Nora a juice bottle and her hot dog before passing Nick his own beer. Nick slid an arm around the back of Kelly’s chair pulling the man closer, as he held his other hand around Nora. She bounced excitedly in his lap while they waited for the first pitch to be thrown.
During the game, Nick periodically took a few pictures of Nora and sent them to Ty; in return, Ty sent a picture of baby Carter in his Orioles jersey in front of the television in Zane’s lap. Kelly even requested a shot of all three of them on his phone, and got another fan to take the picture. Once the third inning started up and the sox were up by two, Nick felt Nora get restless in her seat.
“Come ‘ere pip-squeak,” Kelly grabbed Nora and placed her small body on his shoulders. Nick smirked at the two of them and began to watch the game more closely.
Cheering when the Sox got a home run against the orioles, Nick heard Nora sing out in her tiny voice all of the chants. It sent a warm buzz through him that not even the best of liquor could.
~~~~~
Around the seventh inning Nora had climbed her way back into Nick’s lap. Curling his arm around her small body, Nick hummed along to Sweet Caroline during one of between pitches. He felt Nora’s body go more slack as he rocked her slowly in his seat. In the back of his mind he hoped nothing too exciting happened so the crowd didn’t wake the peaceful bundle in his arms. Closing his eyes, Nick pressed a kiss to Nora’s head as he rocked her, smiling to himself.
Kelly had just walked back from a quick bathroom break when he caught the sight of his husband rocking their daughter. Pulling his phone out quickly, he snapped a picture. Sliding back into his seat, Kelly threaded his fingers into Nick’s and kissed Nora’s head. Looking up he met Nick’s gaze and held it for a moment, finally leaning forward and sharing a kiss. Nick mumbled happily into the kiss as Kelly pulled away.
“Gotta say Lucky, this is the first time I’ve ever seen you not pay attention at all times during a game,” Kelly murmured as he squeezed Nick’s fingers. Nick just smirked and pressed another kiss to Kelly’s lips before looking back down at the sleeping child in his lap.
“I got a little distracted,” Nick mumbled as he laid his cheek against Nora’s forehead once again.
~~~~~~~
It was a few weeks later as Nick sat in his office at the precinct. There was a quick tapping at his door which made Nick look up.
“Hey O’Flaherty, there is a package out here for you,” one of the newer rookie detectives said before disappearing again out of the doorway. Nick furrowed his brow as he headed out of the office and noticed the plain brown package sitting next to his partner Hagen’s lap.
“Well go on and open it O’Flaherty,” someone called out as Nick chuckled and started fumbling with the packaging. Finally getting the damn thing open, Nick found a two picture holding frame. He let his fingers brush over the glass as he felt his eyes prickle with unshed tears.
In the frame was a picture of Kelly, Nora, and himself from the game a few weeks back. It was one of the pictures he sent Ty that afternoon. The second though, was a candid he didn’t even realize was taken. It was of himself holding a sleeping Nora in his lap. His eyes were closed but you could see him smiling against her hair. On the bottom of the frame were the words “World’s Best Dad” engraved into the silver.
Nick looked back into the box to find a note in Kelly handwriting saying a simple “Happy Father’s Day Babe”. Nick smiled again at the note and nodded his thanks at his coworkers before heading back to his office to call his husband. If Kelly heard the small hitch in his husband voice, he didn’t mention it in the call at all.