Chapter Text
Amy doesn't say anything to him his first day back. She tries to tell herself it because he’s just busy, but she knows that’s she’s staling. They need to have a real conversation. She needs to tell him how she really feels because ‘he’s the only one’.
When he’s gone for lunch with Boyle she places the cd on his desk and then goes back to her work. When Jake’s come back from lunch she heads to the evidence locker.
She was there for only two minutes when she heard the door open. She turned around and saw Jake walking towards her. “Hi.” She said almost sheepishly.
“Hi?” He asked her sounding angry. “That’s all I get? I’ve been gone for four months, you’ve been avoiding me all day and the best I get is a ‘hi’?” She knew he deserved more but she wasn’t ready to do that yet. At least not here.
“I don’t know what else to say. We kind of left things weird.” She said turning her back on him to go through a box of evidence.
“Yeah.” He agreed running his hands through his hair. “I feel kind of bad about that. Do you think that maybe we can get together and talk about it? I don’t want our friendship to be ruined or anything.”
Amy turned to look at him. “Me neither.” Amy said with a small but genuine smile. “We can talk later tonight, if you want to come by my place.”
“I can do that.” Jake said before turning and walking out of the evidence room. The second the door closed Amy took a deep breath and told herself over and over again that she could do this. She was Amy Santiago, she could tell a boy that she liked him.
-----
Jake sat in the parking garage at work flipping the mysterious cd in his hands over and over again. It was in a case, but there was no label on it. Hesitantly, he took the cd out of its case and put it into the cd player. He could hear a slight crackle of his speakers before the song Iris started playing.
Jake leaned his head against the headrest shutting his eyes listening to the lyrics of the song over his speakers. “And I’d give up forever to touch you, Cause I know that you feel me somehow. You’re the closest to heaven that I’ll ever be.” Jake smiled as he pulled out of the parking garage.
-----
Amy’s phone vibrated on her kitchen counter. She grabbed it and saw a missed text from Jake. “I’m outside. Come downstairs. We’re going for a drive” She set her phone down and walked over to her window. Sure enough his mustang was parked right outside her apartment.
The walk down didn’t take nearly as long as she had hoped. As she went outside there was a tiny part of her that wanted to go back inside and never have this conversation. She pushed those feelings down as she opened up the passenger door and climbed into his car. “Where are you taking me?” She asked.
“Nowhere in particular.” He said as he merged into traffic unmuting the stereo. Amy’s breath caught in her throat when she realized what was playing.
“You found it?” She asked looking out the window. She hoped that he wouldn’t see how red her cheeks were.
“Of course I found it. You left it right on top of the paperwork that I was working on.” Amy shrugged her shoulders still looking out the window.
“How was Washington?”
“Pretty brutal not going to lie.” He said, she risked a glance over at him and watched the way his eyes scanned the road. “Those guys don’t mess around.”
“I assume you got them all?” She asked trying desperately to ignore the music playing in the background. When she had burned the cd it seemed like a really romantic idea but now she was cringing. Hard.
“Yeah. All of them. It was a great sting. Feds were more than impressed.”
“Congrats then.”
“But it still wasn’t enough.”
“What do you mean?” Amy asked looking over at him. He glanced over quickly at her meeting her eyes before returning his to the road before him. They were in a small neighborhood with each house painted a different vibrant shade.
“I’ve always loved this street.” He said. “I love all the different colors. It used to always make me really happy as a little kid. Always imagined having a big happy family living in one of these houses. Beautiful wife, three kids and a dog sort of thing.”
“I can’t adopt a dog, I’m allergic.” Jake looked over for a second a small smirk on his face. “What?”
“I never said that you were the girl.” Amy felt her entire body be engulfed in the flames as she looked away and out the window. She wanted so badly to just tuck and roll out of this car right now. He was only going twenty five miles and hour, she would be fine right? “I’m teasing you Ames.” Jake said.
“Oh.” She said as Jake came to a stop in a parking lot of a park. “Look. I kind of had some revelations when you were gone.”
“Like what?” Jake asked.
“Well I don’t know where to start. Your mom gave me some of your journals.” Now it was his turn to go red and look out the window for a second. “Even when you told me that you liked me I didn’t realize that I meant that much to you.”
“What?” Jake asked his voice rising an octave as if he didn’t believe that she thought that. “How could you not know that you mean that much to me? Rosa said I was being really obvious about it.”
“I guess it’s always hard to see when you’re the object of affection.” She said. “I missed you like crazy. I didn’t realize it was possible to miss someone so much. Especially someone that I didn’t even date. You were just a friend.” She couldn't help but notice the way Jake winced when she said ‘just a friend’. “When you told me all that I freaked out because I was terrified of losing what I had with Teddy.”
“We don’t have to.” Jake started clearly not wanting to talk about that part of this.
“Yes we do.” Amy replied. “I broke up with Teddy. After you confessed I did lose him in the future, but I gained you. We were married and had this little son. His name was Greyson. He looked just like you. I was pregnant and we just looked so happy together. It was a little sicking.” Jake laughed slightly. “But then when I refreshed the page it was all gone. Just like that and I was devastated. You told me that my future with Teddy was only in jeopardy if I wanted it to be. I didn’t realize it but I wanted you all along. That’s why I keep refreshing my page, kept looking for a different husband. I was just hoping if I refreshed enough times eventually I would be married to you.”
“Then why did you turn me down?” Jake asked and there was a vulnerability in his voice that made her want to climb across the console and hug him tight.
“Because I was afraid. I’ve never been one to take risks. You know this about me. I like stable, safe things. Teddy was safe, Teddy was coloring between the lines. It made a pretty picture but it was boring. You were a risk. Maybe it will work, maybe it won't. You’re like scribbling all over the page, in every color known to the human eye. The picture that is somehow worth a million dollars.”
Amy didn’t even have to say anything else for Jake to lean across the console towards her. She found herself leaning towards him as well on instinct, as if she had done this a thousand times before. “You’re taste in music sucks.” He whispered when his lips were millimeters away from hers.
“Just shut up and kiss me.” Amy whispered back. Jake did as he was told pressing his lips against hers. She closed her eyes and prayed that this moment would last forever. His hands found their way into her hair as her did the same thing. After a minute they pulled apart, lips still millimeters apart. Amy kept her eyes closed focusing on his steady breathing and the words playing over the rado. “Strike up the band, make the fireflies dance, silver moon's sparkling, so kiss me.”
“What do you think Facebook is going to say now?” Jake asked.
“Facebook's gone.” Amy whispered back. “I deleted my profile. But it doesn't matter because from now on I get to choose what happens in the future. And right now I choose you.”