The ride back home is quiet. Edward almost believes that they were going to traipse into the house, he was going to show Jacob to his room, and then he'll be left alone for the rest of the night. Honestly, his optimism after such a shit day amazed even him.
He carries Bear inside and as soon as he unbuckles her from her carseat, he gets the strongest whiff of something pungent. It doesn't take him long to realize that she needs her diaper changed. He sits her atop his forearm and immediately realizes his mistake as he feels wetness soaking through his work shirt. She was going to need a bath. He turns for the stairs without thinking, strips out of his work shirt, and grabs all of the necessary items before coming back downstairs to face a very out-of-place Black who looks even more confused by the fact that he was now shirtless.
The man is standing at the bottom of the stairs, looking around, clearly bewildered by what he was seeing. The house was big for one person. It was especially big for a bachelor who couldn't have children, but it had been built with the idea of two people and a potential child in mind and that just hadn't happened.
Bear doesn't have a bath tub yet, so Edward's forced to bath her in the sink. She doesn't seem to mind, little head resting against his fingers as he tries to slip the little, light pink onesie off of her tiny frame.
"Need some help?" Black asks, mind clearly having caught up with what was going on as the scent of baby soap filled the air.
Edward, admittedly, isn't expecting that. There is no audience for the man to put on a show for in Edward's home. Maybe he's just asking because he doesn't want to have to stand awkwardly by while Bear gets ready for bed.
"Yeah," Edward says, tossing a poorly wrapped, seeping diaper in Black's direction and immediately turning back to dip the bottom half of her into the water. He doesn't think he's in the mood for anymore of Black's "help".
She seems confused by the change, wriggling against the feeling before realizing that Edward wasn't going to let her out any time soon. She resigns herself to staring up at him with this unimpressed expression. Edward doesn't take it personally.
When her bath is over, he wraps her up like a tiny burrito in her towel and hoists her back onto his shoulder. She gets dressed upstairs, fighting her new, baby blue onesie like he'd somehow insulted her, before they head back down to get a bottle.
In his absence, Black has found himself a seat at the island and is quietly looking over a file. He's shed his jacket, badge, and keys and his shirt is now rolled up to the elbow. At first glance, it looks like he's skimming over the contents of the file, but Edward can see that his eyes aren't moving. He's just intensely staring at what looks to be a random image. Edward doesn't bother him, fixing Bear's bottle one-handed and placing it in the bottle warmer.
At some point, he must zone out while staring at the thing, because the only thing that takes him out of own empty thoughts is Bear attempting to rush him as she lightly bats at his chest while quietly whining. He swipes the bottle out, checks the temperature, and turns her so that she's being cradled before popping the bottle into her mouth.
It takes him way too long to realize that he's being watched.
He doesn't immediately look away from Bear once he realizes, hoping that the moment will pass and he can just ponder over it later, but it doesn't. Black doesn't even bother averting his gaze as Edward finally turns around to look at him. Edward's going to say something snarky, maybe crack a joke about Jacob seeming at home in his "glass box", but it's like his brain stalls. Honestly, it's not even his fault with the way that man is staring at him with an intensity Edward's only seen when he's on a particularly harrowing case. That look was reserved for when the FBI needed to step in. Edward had never associated it with anything nice.
He snaps out of whatever fucking trance Black was trying to put him in at the sound of Bear sucking air in through her bottle. He pops it out of her mouth, placing it into the sink, and turns his back on the man as he burps her. What the fuck was that?
He doesn't allow himself to look too far into it as he patiently waits for Bear to give him a solid burp. She takes her time, which he appreciates, and is almost out when she finally burps directly into his ear. He takes her upstairs and spends time that he definitely didn't have to, just wandering aimlessly upstairs before slipping into a pajama shirt and heading back downstairs.
The break was almost like they'd hit reset as Black looks over at him as if he's wasting his time. His brow is furrowed, lips turned down into a frown, as he watches Edward descend the staircase. Honestly, what the fuck?
"Your room is ready." Edward says, not bothering to walk down the last four steps before he's turning around and heading back up.
Eventually, he hears footsteps trailing behind him and he says nothing as he points at a room next to Bear's. There were nicer rooms in the house, bouncier, comfier mattresses, softer pillows, and nicer decorations, but he thinks Jacob will enjoy it. Maybe it's the coziness he's looking for.
Black doesn't immediately go into his room and shut the door, turning around as soon as he's inside to say something.
"We should go over the -" Edward doesn't get to hear the rest as he closes his door and turns off his light as if he's going to be doing any sleeping. Even if he were human, his mind would be racing for the next couple of hours.
Edward can't go to sleep. He physically can't lie down, close his eyes, and escape the world. He can't just run away from the shit day he's having for a couple of hours. Though, last night was the closest he'd gotten in about ninety years. He opens his eyes, completely disoriented, barely remembering where the hell he is and how he got there. His limbs feel like they're moving through molasses as he slowly glides his way over to the door and opens it. He sluggishly makes his way out into the hall and carefully drops each foot onto each step. Left, right, left, right. It's not until he gets a full view of the kitchen that he feels the jolt of being present. His mind no longer wanders as he takes in the scene of Emmett and Jasper sitting at the island while Black stands there in uniform feeding Bear.
If he were human, he'd think he was stuck in some kind of weird dream and maybe he'd wake up soon. Though, because he knows better, he just stares at them until Black spots him on the stairs.
"Why aren't you dressed yet? We're going to miss breakfast." The tone he takes is probably supposed to be stern, but considering the way even Jasper and Emmett turn away to hide their clear amusement, it's not working.
His brothers turn fully on their stools when they realize they've caught his eye. While Emmett is clearly both shocked and amused by this new development, Jasper's amusement turns into this smug expression. If the way he cocks his head is anything to go by, he thinks Black is this supposed someone that Edward must be fixated on. Edward doesn't even bother acknowledging their presence. He'd have enough of that when they were in the lab. He turns around, stomps back up the stairs, and comes back down looking slightly less egregious.
When he returns, his brothers are gone and Jacob is holding Bear's car seat with her diaper bag pulled onto his shoulder. Edward holds his hands out for one of them and Black only stares back at him. It was another one of those looks that has Edward reeling back ever so slightly.
"C'mon, we're going to be late for bacon and eggs and you look like you're going to need it." He mumbles before turning to the door and pulling it open.
Despite insisting that they get breakfast, Black couldn't be less focused on the food as he spreads out pictures of autopsies across the table.
"This is a restaurant, remember? Not your office." He says behind a cup of coffee that Black had insisted was liquid gold. It tasted like bitter bean juice, but he found himself sipping at it anyway in order to appease the man paying for it.
Jacob's eyes flick up to him before quickly averting themselves towards the table as he seemingly suppresses a smile. Edward ignores it. He wasn't interested in whatever Black found amusing when they had their audience.
"Yeah, Officer, let your husband eat in peace." The waitress says as she shoots him a disapproving look. This one has a strong southern accent and a big smile which she flashes Edward's way as she piles their food onto the table.
She apparently had a reputation for berating Black. He'd gotten an earful this morning about not telling her about Bear and he played his part of being the charismatic, overly joyful cop who had a soft spot for waitresses, apparently, and apologized.
Black quickly swipes up the images and stuffed them back into their folders.
"Sorry, Darlene." He says like some kind of obedient school boy.
"Mhm, need anything else, give me a call." She says before stuffing her tray back under her arm and heading over to help some other table.
Edward zones out for most of breakfast and is only brought back into focus when he realizes that Black is talking to him.
"- better eat before Darlene gets back." He says, eyes on Edward's plate.
Edward glances over to see that he's almost completely cleaned his and is potentially on his third cup of bean juice.
Edward lets out a quiet, noncommittal hum before leaning over to check on Bear who is staring back at him with wide eyes like it wasn't 7:00 AM. He turns back to his plate and doesn't have time to even pick at his eggs before the woman is back with a coffeepot chattering away.
"Anything I can get for -" She pauses looking down at Edward's plate, "oh, everything okay, Sweetie?"
"Yeah, I'm just not hungry." He says, attempting to not sound like a petulant child with a plate full of Brussels sprouts.
He's expecting it to be a half a second interaction. He says he doesn't want it, she shrugs it off and maybe takes it away. Instead, what he gets is her worrying over him as he tries to figure out if he's sick.
"Maybe the doctor should go to the doctor," she says, in tone too sweet to be mocking, pressing a hand up against his forehead, "You sure you're feeling okay?"
It takes about three minutes to get her to stop asking him questions, as Black pretends to be just as concerned in the corner while suppressing his laughter, most likely for Darlene's sake.
"I'm sure he's fine, Dee." He adds in.
"The last time someone didn't enjoy the food here, it was because they were pregnant. Welp, I better get back to work." And with that, she bounced away.
Edward closes his eyes and lowers his head, waiting for the loud burst of laughter that he knows is coming. Instead, he gets complete silence outside of the low buzz of conversation around them. He opens his eyes, glances up at Black, and sees the man averting his eyes into his coffee.
What had Edward done? He hadn't exactly taken the night before very well, but that hadn't stopped Jacob from putting on his little show. Maybe his mask had slipped and he'd forgotten to laugh along with the soundtrack, but honestly, Edward would think he'd recover from the gaff with some kind of recovery. Instead, he quickly finishes his coffee and says that they were going to be late if they didn't get going. He doesn't look at Edward once throughout that entire interaction.
They walk into the police station and Jacob immediately wanders off to talk to his team. Edward lets out a sigh and heads for the lab, ignoring the curious glances of Black's teammates as he heads for the sliding door.
"Hey, it's loverboy." Emmett says with a smile on his face that Edward hated seeing aimed towards him. It was teasing, but he could see the hope there just underneath. He rolls his eyes and goes to sit Bear on his desk.
"What happened to telling us everything, huh?" Jasper says, spinning around in his chair. There is no malice there, curiosity clearly sparkling in his eyes as waits for his turn to tease Edward.
He's not technically allowed to let his brother's in on their little case. He's sure it'll slip at some point, but he has to try his best to keep them in the dark. Until then, what is he supposed to do as they wait like curious, gossiping teenagers for him to talk about whatever it is supposedly happening in his love life?
"It's nothing." He says with a sigh, turning to look at Bear who is staring up at the fluorescent lights.
"Nothing? He was in your house," Jasper says, looking at him as if he's grown a third head, "and based on the fact that he wasn't dressed when we got there, I would even guess that he spent the night."
"And considering how attached you are to Baby Bear there, I doubt you're letting one night stands hold her." Emmett tosses in.
Edward tries not to balk at the phrasing.
There was nothing that was coming out of his mouth that was going to convince them, but it would be uncharacteristic of him to stop trying.
"It's not like that." He mumbles, moving Bear's car seat over to see the files from the completed autopsies that they've stacked onto his desk.
"Yeah, and we believe you." Jasper says with a roll of his eyes and a quick glance at Emmett who returns his disbelieving expression.
Edward says nothing as he turns back to the computer screen.
He continues to ignore them when Jacob stops by to take them to lunch.
To his surprise, they don't end up at the diner, instead finding themselves at a restaurant that Edward tended to avoid. La Belle Italia wasn't for quick meals. You didn't come hear to grab lunch. It was a bit fancier than that, like suit and tie fancy. You didn't bring your baby to a spot like this.
Edward wants to question the choice, but there is that look again. He's staring at him like's he's going to spear Edward with his fork if he doesn't enjoy the food.
Much to Edward's surprise, Black drops the act. He looks around the place like he's seen a cockroach and his nose wrinkles when a portly man with strong cologne comes ambling by. This was the guy he was used to. The one that openly glared at and looked over people he deemed "nonessential". He doesn't necessarily seem impressed by anything even in the dim lighting.
"You brought me here so you could glare at light fixtures?" Edward says after thirty minutes of them being stuffed at this table waiting for their food.
"No, I brought you here because I thought you'd enjoy it." He says with a disgusted look on his face.
It's Edward's turn to let out a laugh of his own. At the sound, Black whips his head around like someone's stung him as he looks the man up and down.
"I used to bring my ex here." He clarifies and instead of joining in on the laughter like Edward thought he would, his face falls.
"Oh."
Then, they're back to being quiet.
"Maybe we should try somewhere else." Edward recommends, not waiting for Black's answer as he pushes himself up from his chair and grabs for Bear's car seat.
They end up getting fast food from some drive-thru and eating it in the car.
"You were gone for a long time." Emmett says as soon as he steps a foot in the lab.
"Couldn't decide where to eat." Edward dismisses quickly as he goes back to his desk to distract himself.
"So, where'd he take you?" Emmett asks, turning away from whatever he was working on.
It would be so much easier to tell the truth, honestly, the truth gave away nothing, but Edward found himself fixing his mouth to lie.
"Carver's." He says with a wave of his hand.
They seem to take the answer without feeling the need to question him. Why wouldn't they?
He spends the rest of the afternoon trying to fall into his work when he wasn't attending to Bear's needs. When, he looks up again, it's because Black was standing in the doorway waiting to take him home.
He ignores the perplexed looks from Jasper and Emmett as he scoops Bear up and heads for the door.