Sunday Kind of Love

A/N: Written for day one of Carrison Week put on by the lovely peeps at Carrison Fiesta on Tumblr. The prompt is "beginning of relationship."

Thanks to my space twin for the beta! I love you passionately.

This fic takes place in my plausible verse, where Harrison and Carrie slowly come together after he separates from Melissa. It's set in summer 2002, and the younger kids are preteens (Malcolm is 14, Georgia is 11, and Billie is 9).

The title comes from the song "A Sunday Kind of Love." My favourite version is by The Four Seasons.

With all that said, on with the show!

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"Uncle Harrison, can I ask you something?"

Billie's question startled Harrison from washing their lunch dishes. Carrie had been feeling tired after the meal and despite her protests, Harrison had sent her to bed, where she was now snoring away.

He looked over at Billie as she wiped a plate dry. "Sure, squirt. Anything."

"Why aren't you dating Mom yet?"

Harrison practically choked on his own saliva. "What?" he asked, his eyes bulging against his will.

Georgia and Malcolm glanced at their father and Billie, smirking as they put dishes away. Of course Billie would be the one to bring up what the kids had been talking about for months now.

"Why aren't you dating Mom?"

For once, Harrison was speechless. Unlucky for him, Billie was patient.

After a few moments, he finally figured out what to say. "Well, it hasn't been that long since the divorce ..."

"It's been a year, Dad," Malcolm piped in from the fridge.

Thanks, son. Harrison swallowed and tried again. "It hasn't been that long since your mom's last episode—"

"That was four years ago, Dad," Georgia replied, raising an eyebrow.

He sighed, knowing he'd been caught. He threw the sponge in the sink and reached for a towel to dry his hands.

"Uncle Harrison?" Billie pressed.

Harrison leaned against the kitchen counter. "I don't want to take advantage of her."

Georgia's eyebrows practically met her hairline. "Daddy, that's the last thing you'd do."

"We all know you want to be together," Malcolm said. "You've wanted to be together as long as I can remember."

Harrison winced a little, taking in the implications of what he said. "Malcolm—"

"I'm not mad about it, Dad," he cut in. "You and Aunt Carrie work better as a couple than you and Mom do. You and Mom are better as bros."

He frowned at that characterization, true as it might be. "But that doesn't mean we should date. What if I'm the wrong thing for her?"

Billie stared at him. "Seriously?"

"Billie—"

"Ever since I was little, no matter what was going on, Mom or I could call you and you'd know exactly what to do, exactly what to say. You fixed everything, Uncle Harrison—how can you think you'd be bad for her?"

He was silent, looking at his feet. After a moment, he looked up, making eye contact with all three of them.

"What if we don't work as a real couple?" he asked, showing his kids his vulnerability for possibly the first time. "I don't know if either of us could survive it."

"You will," Georgia replied simply. "You've survived a lot together—more than some couples go through in entire marriages. And even if you don't—and that's a pretty big if—you're the strongest people I know. You'll make it."

Harrison swallowed the lump in his throat as he looked in their hopeful faces. He gave them a half-grin.

"How should I ask her out?"