Carulia Oneshots

a his-story

notes~ Inspired by a conversation on the julethief server. Baby Scarlett is by indigogalaxia on tumblr! :)

words~ 753

...

Soft music wafted from the small speaker on the island.

Carmen paused, half-washed plate in hand, ear cocked to the murmuring of voices coming from Scarlett's room. She turned off the sink and set down the plate, creeping to Scarlett's room. But she paused in the doorway, struck with the adorableness of the scene before her. Her gaze softened as her eyes landed on her wife and daughter mid conversation, Scarlett sitting in a mess of pink blankets, Julia at the window, closing the blinds.

"Mummy, can you tell me a his-story before bed?"

Julia turned, smiling. She settled on the edge of the bed and smoothed the blankets around the little body of their daughter. "You want me to tell you a story from history?"

Scarlett nodded.

"Alright," Julia said, "but only a short story. It's late."

Scarlett wiggled happily, rumpling her blankets again, and Carmen's heart felt like it would burst with the love she felt for her two girls. What had she done to deserve them?

Still oblivious to Carmen concealed behind the door frame, Julia smoothed the dark hair from Scarlett's forehead and began her story.

"A long long time ago, there were people called the Romans. They lived in a big empire in Europe. But the story I'm going to tell you has to do with two little boys named Romulus and Remus."

"Did Romulus and Remus have two mommies like me?" Scarlett asked.

Julia's eyes crinkled with amusement, but she shook her head. "No, they weren't as lucky as you are, love."

The corners of Scarlett's mouth turned down in a pout. "I think they would have liked having two mommies."

"That's not how the story goes, love," Julia chided gently. "When they were babies, Romulus and Remus were put into a basket and left to float on a river by their parents. They floated for a very long time, but lucky for them, a mama wolf found them on the side of the river. She rescued them from the water."

Scarlett's dark eyes were as wide as saucers, no closer to sleep than she was at the beginning of the story. If anything she was more wide awake. Carmen rested her head on the doorframe, gazing on her wife and daughter with the same reverent expression as Scarlett had on her little face. No, she wasn't tearing up. It was the stupid spring allergies.

"The mama wolf gave them milk and treated them like her own cubs until a human shepherd could come and find them. That shepherd took the baby boys from the mama wolf that saved them and raised them as if they were his own children."

Julia smiled, once again tucking the covers under Scarlett's chin. "And when they were older, Romulus and Remus built the city of Rome in the same spot that the mama wolf found them as babies to honor her. The end."

Scarlett gazed at her in adoration. "Can you tell me another story about the Romans, mummy?"

Julia laughed. "No, Scar, it's time for you to sleep. Maybe I'll have another for you tomorrow if you're a good girl and go straight to sleep. Can you do that?"

At Scarlett's ardent nod, Julia kissed her daughter's temple and stood. "Sweet dreams, my darling."

She pulled the lamp chain and turned toward the door, arching a brow at Carmen's profile outlined against the light from the hallway. She closed Scarlett's door quietly.

Carmen wrapped her arms around Julia's waist, hugging her from behind and kissing her temple lightly.

"Were you standing in the doorway the whole time?" Julia murmured.

Carmen hummed in affirmation, cheek to the top of her head.

Julia closed her eyes and sighed contentedly, leaning back into Carmen's embrace and threading her fingers through the ones resting at her waist. "It wasn't historically accurate I'm afraid, but–"

"Scar's a toddler, Jules. She won't know the difference. Besides, I thought it was cute."

They stood outside Scarlett's room in one another's arms, shallow breaths the only sound breaking the silence until Julia twisted in Carmen's arms, wrapping her arms around her neck.

Carmen rested her forehead against Julia's gently, mindful of her glasses, staring into dark eyes that reflected only love and affection. So much love. Eyes she was lucky enough to see every day for the rest of her life.

"I love you, Jules," she whispered, voice quiet with their close proximity. "I'm the luckiest woman on earth to have you and Scar in my life."