With Hearts to Hear| ✔

|27|

"I heard my mum is trying to feed you," Rachel mused as she heard Killian's footsteps wander into the living room behind her. Her back was to him as she leaned over the side of the crib that her daughter fussed in. "That means that she likes you."

She swivelled around to see him standing by the door, his face a mix of quiet awe and perhaps also terror. The timid caution that seemed to follow him whenever he was around her multiplied by tenfold; he stood a little hunched, as if he were trying to make himself smaller which with his imposing frame was incredibly futile.

Rachel smiled warmly, biting her lip when he gave her a small unsure smile in return. She had never seen him so shy— it was utterly adorable. All it took to bring the dominating man to his knees was his daughter.

"It's alright, she won't bite..." Rachel joked playfully, only to think better of it a moment later. "Actually, she might, she's started teething."

When he didn't move from his spot by the door, Rachel's heart squeezed painfully. She knew that it must be surprising for him, but she was starting to worry that he was no longer interested in meeting their daughter; that perhaps, he no longer wanted to be a father.

"Look if you don't want to do this... I've done it on my own this far—"

Rachel's word lit a fire in him, thawing the ice that had frozen him in place. He had stood there, and yet been so far away, caught up in his overwhelming fear and insecurity. The sound of the fussing child was a heavy reminder to him that he had no idea how to be a father. He had no idea how to stop her crying, he had no idea how to change her, how to feed her, hell he had no idea how to hold her. Worse yet, he had missed a whole year of her life already— time that he should have been there, learning how to do all those things and more.

It felt utterly ridiculous, and it embarrassed him to have to admit it to Rachel; only his silence had caused her to doubt that this was what he wanted.

"What? No!" He took two determined strides forward, the shyness evaporating as he reclaimed the sure leader that he was. His long legs ate the space between them greedily, his two long strides putting him right next to Rachel, standing over the wooden crib. "I'm not walking away from my family, not when I just got it back."

He looked down at the baby, the small thing fussing and kicking. She was tiny, even for a pup, he figured she would just about fit in the palm of his hand. Her head was pampered with thick curls, skin lightly bronzed, and her little hazel eyes.

She looked like him.

She looked up at Killian, a mirror of herself, only far more imposing. His large frame, dark beard, and piercing eyes, completely unfamiliar to her. The pup's face soured, lips puckering, eyes welling with fat salty tears.

With each tear that trailed down her chubby cheek, Killian' heart sank deeper until he was certain it was at the bottom of some goddess forsaken trench at the bottom of the ocean.

"Who's that, huh?" Rachel cooed, picking the child up still wrapped in her little fluffy lion blanket, bouncing her on her hip. She turned Diana in her arms, so that she was facing Killian, bouncing her gently. "That's your daddy."

Without warning, Rachel stepped forward, resting the child in Killian's arms. She waited until he wrapped her in his embrace a little tighter; both afraid to hold her too tightly, and afraid his hold wasn't tight enough.

"You got her?" Rachel asked, but Killian couldn't help but think she sounded far more amused than she was worried.

For some reason, that comforted him just a little more; in the short time he had spent with this new Rachel it was clear that she was a dedicated mother. She would not let go of her infant unless she was absolutely certain she was completely safe.