Chapter Text
Amy Santiago entered the precinct on a normal Tuesday. She was greeted with the familiar sights and sounds of the nine-nine. Perps hollering from holding, detectives talking with witnesses, Hitchcock and Scully debating what to make in the toaster oven for breakfast.
However, one thing was different this morning. When she approached her desk, which was shared with her fellow detective Jake Peralta, she noticed he was missing. His jacket was slung over the back of his chair, and he was scheduled to work today, so she figured he must just be using the restroom or bothering Rosa in the breakroom. Typical Peralta stuff.
After fifteen minutes though, Peralta still hadn’t returned to his desk. Amy wasn’t worried, per say, but she was starting to wonder if something bad had happened to him. Maybe he’d fallen into the toilet or something.
She glanced over at Charles, who was engrossed in casework on his desk, and asked, “Hey Boyle?”
“Hey, what’s up?” he asked her, glancing up reluctantly from his paperwork.
“Sorry to interrupt.” she nodded at his files, “But have you seen Jake this morning? I got here almost twenty minutes ago, and he hasn’t been back by his desk.”
Charles looked over at Jake’s empty desk, seeming to just now notice his absence, “Oh, wow. I’ve been so focused on this case I didn’t even realize. I’m gonna go check the men’s room, see if he’s there.”
“Good idea.” Amy agreed, “Thanks.”
She watched Charles get up and head in the direction of the bathrooms, nervously twisting the cap of her pen between her fingers. Obviously she couldn’t care less about what Jake was doing or if he was okay, it wasn’t like they were dating or anything. They were just colleagues. But he was her partner, and they were supposed to have eachothers backs. That’s what good cops did.
Amy looked up as Charle’s walked back into the bullpen alone. Her brows furrowed as the shorter man made a beeline for Captain Holt’s office, knocking once before being allowed in. He closed the door behind him. He was in the Captain’s office for two minutes before they both emerged and headed off in the direction of the restrooms. Amy’s eyes widened in alarm and she stood, rushing across the floor to follow them.
“Hey!” She demanded as she tailed them in the hall, “What’s going on? Is Peralta okay?”
Holt turned to glance at her as they walked, “Detective Santiago, I am not certain this is any of your concern.”
Amy ignored that, looking at Charles, “Is Jake alright?”
Charles nodded, “I walked in and found him bent over the sink in pain, splashing his face with cold water.” he rubbed his own jaw thoughtfully, “I think he needs to have his wisdom teeth pulled. He said they’ve been hurting for a few weeks but today was pretty unbearable I guess.”
Amy let out a relieved breath at the knowledge that Jake was okay, just having a dental emergency.
She looked at Holt, “What are you gonna do with him?”
“I will make sure he is alright, then send him home to receive medical attention.” Captain Holt replied matter-of-factly.
“I don’t think he should drive like this.” Charles said nervously as the three of them reached the bathroom doors.
“Detective Boyle, do you have time to bring him to the dentist?” Captain Holt inquired.
Charles grimaced, probably thinking of the mound of casework he’d been engrossed in moments before. Amy stepped in.
“Captain, I am ahead on all of my paperwork and just finished my last open case. I can bring Peralta to the dentist.” she offered.
The Captain looked her up and down thoughtfully, “Are you sure, Santiago? He will likely need lengthy aftercare due to the anesthesia.”
Amy didn’t love the thought of that, but she wasn’t going to just bail on him, “He’s my partner sir, I’d be happy to help. I know Boyle is swamped.”
“Thanks Amy.” Charles sighed, “As much as I would love to be there to hold Jake’s hand, I really do need to get this case finished.”
“I’m not gonna hold his hand.” Amy rolled her eyes.
Before anyone could respond, the bathroom door swung open, and Jake appeared in the doorway. His skin was ashy and pale, dark circles under his eyes indicating that he likely didn’t sleep well last night, probably due to the pain. His curly hair was disheveled, and he cradled his jaw with one hand as he leaned against the doorframe.
“Peralta.” Captain Holt addressed him, “You look awful.”
“Quit flirting with me, Cap. You're married.” Jake quipped, though it was clear speaking was painful.
“Detective Boyle seems to believe you are having a dental emergency.” Holt replied, unfazed by his flippant attitude, “Detective Santiago will be accompanying you to an emergency dental clinic to have your wisdom teeth removed. They are likely impacted, if you are in this much pain.”
Jake glanced between the trio, face screwing up with disgust, “Ah.” he waved his free hand, the other one still cupping his jaw, “I’m fine. Probably just had too much orange soda with breakfast.”
“I would argue that any orange soda is too much for breakfast.” Holt responded, “Nevertheless, you have strict orders to go get your teeth taken care of. Do not return until you are fully healed.”
“Captain-”
“This is non negotiable, Detective.” Holt cut him off in a tone that brokered no room for argument.
Jake sighed, shoulders sagging as he turned to look at Amy, offering her a half-hearted smirk, “Well, you ready to have a really fun day?”
Amy snorted, “Let me grab your jacket and we’ll get going. I’ll call the dental clinic on the way.”
“Thanks Mom.” he snarked as he walked past her toward the elevator.
Amy rolled her eyes so hard she thought they’d pop out of her head. It was in fact going to be a very long day.
Once they were in Amy’s car, an appointment set up and en route to the clinic, she glanced over to find Jake leaning against the passenger window. His cheek was smushed up against the side, eyes watching the blur of the city pass as she navigated through the crowded streets of Brooklyn.
“So?” Amy inquired as she drove, “Why haven’t you gone to the dentist if you were in so much pain?”
Jake shrugged disinterestedly, “I figured it’d go away if I just ignored it. That’s how I handle most of my ailments.”
Amy scoffed, “How are you even alive, Peralta?”
The man rolled his eyes, “It’s worked for me so far.”
“Has it?” Amy argued, “Because you were just escorted out of work, unable to drive because of the pain you’re in.”
“It doesn’t even hurt that bad.” he insisted.
“Really?” Amy glanced at her glove compartment where she kept a stash of emergency yogurt-covered pretzels in case she got stuck on a long stakeout with nothing to eat. It was one of her favorite snacks.
She picked up the bag and handed it to him, “I’ll believe you if you can eat one pretzel without bawling your eyes out.”
She knew there was no way he’d do it, not with the pain he was in. Even Jake wasn’t that immature.
He snatched the bag and tore it open, grabbing a pretzel. After a moment of deliberation, he popped it in his mouth.
“Oh my god, Jake!” Amy hissed, “You’re such an idiot!”
“See?” his voice was a high-pitched ring, “Told ya! It doesn’t even-” there was a crunch as he bit down, and then he cried out, “Damn it! Fuck!” and grabbed his mouth with both hands, squeezing his eyes shut.
Amy sighed and grabbed a napkin from her glove compartment, “Spit it out.”
He opened his mouth and let the pretzel crumbs fall into the napkin, which she crumbled up in a ball and stuffed in the center console, reminding herself to pull it out and toss it when they parked.
“I didn’t bawl my eyes out.” he reminded her, though he still hadn’t removed his hands from his face.
“Big winner.” Amy scoffed.
Shortly after they pulled up to the dental clinic. Amy put the car in park and got out to toss the garbage he’d made on their short drive. She stood on the curb and watched as Jake shoved the passenger door open and climbed out slowly, leaning on the door for support. Something deep within her yearned to reach out and grab his arm, help him forward as the pain written across his face slowly became unbearable to look at.
But she stayed put. They were just colleagues, she couldn’t and shouldn’t go around touching on him willy-nilly.
Amy opened the front door for him, and he nodded in thanks as they entered the carpeted lobby. The heater blast was a nice relief from the brisk New York air, and the familiar buzz of the worst Top 40 on a shitty radio reassured her that they were definitely at the dentist.
“How can I help you two?” the friendly receptionist smiled at them as they entered.
“Hi, I called on the way here. This is Jacob Peralta.” Amy gestured at Jake, who kept one hand on his jaw but offered the receptionist a brief wave.
“Oh, poor thing.” she gave Jake a sympathetic look, “Looks like you’re in some pretty serious pain. We just need some forms filled out and we’ll get you back with the doctor and get you all taken care of.” She gathered up a clipboard full of paper, which Amy took.
They moved to sit in the plush chairs in the otherwise empty lobby, and Amy began filling out the information. Some of it she knew: his birthday, his full name, occupation. But there were a few medical ones she had to ask.
“Any allergies?” she inquired, her pen scratching against the clipboard smoothly.
“Bees. Is that important?” he asked with a frown.
“I don’t think so, but I’ll write it anyway. Never hurts to be thorough.” she scanned the page to the next question, “Any regular medications?”
“Just an inhaler. As needed.” he replied.
Amy glanced up in surprise, “You have asthma?”
He shrugged, “It’s really not bad. I only use the inhaler like once a month.”
“I didn’t know that.” Amy said, and wrote it down. She continued, “Height and weight?”
“This is a dentist, what do they need that for?” he demanded.
“For the anesthesia, Jake.”
He sighed, rubbing his face tiredly, “5’11. 173.”
“Alright chubby.” she smirked as she filled it out. Jake’s knuckles collided with her bicep gently, and she flinched, “Ow! Dick, you punched me.”
“You called me chubby!”
“I’m writing ‘can’t take a joke’ on the ailments line.” she muttered.
He laughed, but then quickly hissed in pain and covered his face, bending his head over as he rested his elbows on his knees. Amy’s brows knit together and she watched him with concern, not liking the way his noise of pain tugged at her chest.
After the papers were filled out and returned to the receptionist, they waited for a few more minutes and a woman in green scrubs appeared from behind the swinging wooden door.
“Jacob Peralta?” she called, glancing over at him with a smile. Jake rose from the chair, looking apprehensive. He glanced down at Amy, and she was surprised to see the trepidation in his eyes.
“You alright?” she asked quietly.
He grimaced, “Uh...I may or may not be...afraid...of the dentist.”
Amy glanced over at the waiting nurse, then back to him, “Do you...want me to come with you?”
A small glint of hope danced across his face, “Will you?”
“Sure, Jake.”
Amy got to her feet and followed him down the hall with the nurse in front. She told herself that him asking her to come meant nothing; he had an irrational fear and would’ve asked anyone to come in with him, it didn’t mean he trusted her or anything. They were just colleagues.
Once he was reclined in the plastic chair, Jake’s anxiety was becoming visible. His eyes were wide, darting around the room and following the nurse (whose name tag read: Marlene Flowers) as she puttered around, explaining that she was going to examine his mouth and take some x-rays before the doctor joined them for the actual procedure. As she sat beside him and readjusted the light, Amy could see the tension stiffening Jake’s entire body.
On instinct, she reached out and slid her fingers into his, squeezing once. He glanced over at her with surprise, but didn’t say anything, and made no move to release her hand. His shoulders relaxed marginally.
“Okay Jacob,” Nurse Flowers said as she leaned over him with the light, “I can tell you’re a little apprehensive. Just warning, that this may hurt just a bit, but it won’t last long, okay?”
“It’s actually Jake.” he replied nervously.
She smiled, pulling her mask up over her nose and mouth, “Okay Jake. Hang in there.” she glanced over at Amy, noticing their interlocked hands, “You got him?”
Amy nodded, “Yes.”
“Okay honey.” she reached into his mouth with that little metal scrapey thingy and Amy winched just at the thought of how painful this was probably going to be for him. Amy gripped his now clammy hand a little tighter.
It didn’t take much prodding for Jake to become visibly uncomfortable. She figured it wasn’t exactly pleasant to have someone rooting around in his mouth with the pain he was already in, but as soon as the sound of metal hitting teeth rang out, an involuntary yelp of pain followed. Amy cringed at the sound of Jake’s discomfort; he’d been injured before on cases, but he always played it cool. He was out of his element here, she’d never seen him so vulnerable. His fingers clenched around hers tightly and his entire body tensed up.
“Sorry Jake.” Nurse Flowers said sympathetically, “it looks like you have two impacted wisdom teeth. The x-rays will tell us more, but I think we’re looking at a double extraction today.”
Jake’s brown eyes widened as he looked up at her, “A duhl extertan?” his words were a slurred mess as he tried to speak around her gloved hand in his mouth.
She nodded, pulling the tools from his mouth and peeling off her latex gloves, “I’m going to get the x-ray setup. I’ll be back in a moment.” she left the room, closing the door gently.
“Well.” Jake said after a moment of quiet, “This sucks ass.”
“Don’t worry.” Amy assured him, “I’ve had all my wisdom teeth taken out. It’s super easy, you’re drugged up for the whole thing.”
“I better have the best trip of my life.” he sighed, then glanced down at their hands, still interlocked. He looked back up at her face inquisitively.
Amy pulled her hand from his, smiling sheepishly. Neither of them said anything further.
After the x-rays were taken to confirm that he did in fact need two impacted wisdom teeth taken out, they had to get him brought into the surgery room. Visitors were not welcome, so Amy had to stay behind in the lobby. The dentist told her that the surgery would take about an hour, so if she wanted to leave and come back she could.
As much as Amy wanted to stay and be supportive, she figured Jake would need some things at his apartment for when they left. He wasn’t going to be able to eat solid food, and given that he hadn’t planned on going to the dentist, she couldn’t imagine he was at all prepared for the recovery. She had an hour and his jacket, which had his keys, so she was going to make the best of it.
Amy first stopped at the CVS down the street from the dental office, picking up numerous packages of over the counter painkillers (though she knew he’d be given some good stuff) several ice packs, and extra gauze.
Then, she headed to the market by his apartment, and picked up several different types of soup, popsicles, juices, pudding (butterscotch) applesauce, ice cream (peanut butter chocolate, his favorite), sherbet (rainbow, of course) and just to be cute, a little stuffed white bear with a customizable card. She wrote “The Endangered Molar Bear!” on the note, which she knew would make him roll his eyes.
With thirty minutes to spare, she made it back to his apartment, arms full of groceries. She was surprised at the fact that it was decently clean, aside from the expected clutter and unopened mail on his countertops. She unloaded all the groceries, sighing to find that she’d been right, and his pantry and fridge were mostly empty. Though there were several takeout menus on the table, and a decent amount of Gushers in the cabinet. She tidied up a little and grabbed some blankets and pillows off his bed to make a nice setup on the couch in front of the TV, before heading back out to her car.
Amy made it back just in time, entering the lobby as the dentist walked in to find her. He smiled warmly at her upon entrance.
“How is he?” she asked.
“It went perfectly.” the dentist assured her, “we’re gonna get him brought out and go over some discharge info with you, but everything went fine. We were able to extract both teeth without any complications.”
Amy nodded in relief, “That’s great. Is he awake?”
“Yes, he’s quite delirious.” the dentist laughed, “The medication should wear off in a few hours, but he may be a little silly until then. His inhibitions will be lowered, and he may be very confused. He has our staff very amused back there.”
“That tracks.” Amy laughed a little, picturing a loopy Jake flirting with dental nurses and embarrassing himself with half-cocked police stories.
A few minutes later, Jake was being rolled out into the lobby in a wheelchair by Nurse Flowers. He was holding a plastic bag that appeared to have his blue flannel in it, and had on a black t-shirt that read, “Show Me Your Smile!” There was a large pad of gauze stuffed in both sides of his mouth, which muddied his enunciation and made his swollen cheeks look even puffier.
“Amy Santiago!” Jake greeted her in an obscenely loud voice, “I got blood on my shirt!”
Amy couldn’t help but laugh, shaking her head good-naturedly at him, “I see.” she nodded, “You ready to go home, Peralta?”
“Yep, gimme them keys girl!” he held his hand out sloppily.
Nurse Flowers chuckled, looking at Amy, “You have fun with this one. He’s a real keeper sweetie.”
Amy’s face felt warm at the implication of that, but before she could offer a polite reply, Jake turned to look at the nurse, “Marlene!” he snorted, “Santiago is not my wife! I arrested her for having a ponytail too tight.”
“Alright druggie.” Amy rolled her eyes and reached over to help lift him from the wheelchair, “Let’s get you in the car before you ruin my reputation any further.”
“Ruin my reputation...title of your sex tape.” he muttered as she led him out of the office toward her car.
Amy ignored that and lowered him into the passenger seat of the car before crossing to get behind the wheel. Soon enough they were en route to his apartment.
“Your car smells like Christmas.” he said as he looked out the window, “It’s October.”
“It’s September.” she corrected him, “And it’s my pine tree air freshener.”
Jake glanced up at her rearview mirror, eyes narrowing at the little green tree hanging from it. Clumsily, he swiped his arm up and yanked it off the mirror.
“Hey! What the hell Jake?!” Amy demanded, trying to focus on the road while he derailed the contents of her vehicle.
He pressed it into his nose and inhaled deeply, moaning, “That’s good shit, Santiago.”
She sighed in defeat; so Jake Peralta on painkillers was somehow more annoying than sober Jake. She never thought she’d see the day that he got more intolerable.
Luckily, his apartment was close and they reached it in record time. She killed the engine and crossed around the car, opening his door and reaching in to help him out.
He waved his arms, “Nah! No help.” he stood quickly, but seemed to immediately regret that decision as he grabbed the door for stability and groaned in pain.
“My mouth fuckin’ kills.” he managed in a weak voice, “who hurt me?”
“Doctor Henson and Nurse Flowers.” Amy replied, “Now give me your arm so I can help you up to your apartment.”
Jake leaned his weight on her as they walked into the lobby of his building toward the elevator. He seemed to have no qualms about being close, resting his head in the crook of her neck as they stood in the silent elevator. His arms wrapped around her shoulders as he leaned on her, sighing contentedly.
“Your hair’s so soft.” he murmured, closing his eyes and nestling closer to her, “Your pantsuit is so gray.”
Amy rolled her eyes again, “You’re high on painkillers, Jake.”
“It’s the grayest pantsuit anyone’s ever wore.” he responded.
They finally made it to his floor and she toted him down the carpeted hall to his apartment, unlocking the door and shuffling him inside. Jake inhaled deeply as they entered, raising his arms excitedly.
“Home!” he said cheerfully, “It’s my home!”
“Yes.” Amy shook her head and began guiding him to the couch, “Come and sit down.”
“Wait, not comfy.” he pointed to his jeans and before Amy could move, he’d unbuttoned them and slid them down his legs, leaving him in only a t-shirt and boxers. She forced her gaze away from his toned thighs and the noticeable bulge in his underwear, looking anywhere else.
“I’ll grab you some sweats.” she said quickly, rushing off toward his bedroom to collect herself and grab him something to cover up.
When she returned to the living room, she found him on his knees beside the coffee table, watching something intently. She patted his shoulder to get his attention, and he turned sharply, as if he’d been busted doing something.
“Got the sweats.” she held them up to show him, “What are you looking at?”
“Shhh!” He hissed, looking back at the table, “There’s a mama ant.”
Amy frowned and squatted beside him, noticing a fat black ant and a smaller ant walking along the table toward a lingering potato chip he’d probably spilled and never cleaned up. She hadn’t noticed it on her first visit earlier.
“Gross.” she muttered, grabbing a tissue from the end table and crushing both ants beneath it before tossing them in the garbage, along with the potato chip.
“You murdered them.” Jake snarled at her, crossing his arms over his chest in anger.
“They were ants.” she held out the sweatpants again, “Put some pants on.”
“She was a single mom, working two jobs.” Jake replied as he took the sweatpants from her obediently and began dressing, “Her son was helping. He found the potato chip.”
“How do you know she wasn’t married?” Amy inquired as she led him toward the couch and gently shoved his shoulders to force him to recline.
Jake grabbed one of the blankets and pulled it up under his chin, “Dad cheated on her and they got divorced, duh. You know how pilots are. They see too many cities not to drop anchor at every one.”
Amy paused on her way to the kitchen, turning to face him. He was curled up underneath the blanket, eyes looking ahead but not seeming to really see anything. His mouth was still swollen and stuffed with gauze, eyes rimmed with tired circles. He looked worn out.
And of course, he wasn’t talking about the ants anymore.
Gently, Amy asked, “The dad ant...he left them?”
Jake snorted, “Duh doi. The baby ant was too much to handle. He was too misbehaved, too bad at school. He ruined everything for his mom.”
Amy felt her face contort into one of sadness at his words, “Jake...don’t you think it was the dad’s fault for leaving? I mean...the baby ant was just a little kid. He didn’t do anything wrong.”
Jake seemed to deliberate her words for a moment, then he shrugged, “Who cares? Nobody needs a dad ant.”
Amy gnawed on her lower lip before responding, “If you ask me? I think the baby ant is better off without the dad. I think he turned out pretty great.”
Jake scowled at her, “Well, now we’ll never know. You killed him.”
Despite the levity of what Jake had just unintentionally revealed to her, Amy found herself laughing a little. She had to admit, he was pretty cute right now. She’d never seen him let his guard down so much, and even if it was only because he was under the influence, it was nice to see a more genuine side of him.
“Amy?” Jake asked suddenly, looking over at her.
“Yes, Jake?”
“My mouth really hurts. Am I gonna die?”
Amy chuckled a bit, closing the distance between them to sit beside him on the couch, “No Jake. You’re gonna be fine. You’ll feel normal again in a few hours.”
“I’m afraid.” he admitted in a low whisper, “I think I might need to get my wisdom teeth taken out. I’ve never told anyone this, but I’m pretty scared of the dentist.”
“You’ll be okay Jake.” she promised him, “I’m here for you.”
“Thanks Ames.” he sighed heavily, leaning back against the pillows, “You’re so nice to me, even though I make fun of you.”
She chuckled, “Yeah I know. I’m a saint.”
“You’re so smart too.” he replied, shaking his head, “Smarter than me. A much better detective.You’re definitely gonna be my boss someday.”
Amy’s eyes widened at his kind words, “Wow. Is that really what you think, Jake?”
“Nobody’s ponytails are as nice as yours.” he said unhelpfully, “You are the best.”
“I don’t think they are giving out promotions based on ponytails.” Amy laughed, “but I’m glad to know mine is doing okay.”
Jake turned to her with somber eyes, “Everything you do is perfect. It’s stupid.”
She frowned, a little confused as to what message he was trying to get across, “What do you mean?”
He shrugged, “You know? You’re like...on time for stuff, and so smart, and you laugh at my jokes.” a small smile pulled at the tender corners of his swollen lips, “I don’t even care if other people laugh. I only care if you laugh.”
“Really?” she almost couldn't believe her ears.
“One time I purposely waited until your shift started to open my casefile so I could ask you for help and Holt would have us work it together.” he replied nonchalantly.
Amy studied his face for a moment, wondering if she could really believe anything he said right now. On one hand, he seemed to otherwise be being pretty honest. On the other, he was drugged up and fairly delusional.
She couldn’t help the way her heartbeat picked up at the thought of Jake going out of his way to try and spend time with her though. As much as she tried to shove the feelings down, it made her happy that he wanted to be around her. She hated to admit it to herself, but she wanted to be around him too. More than she’d ever say out loud.
“That’s weird.” she said unsurely.
“I know.” he told her.
“Do you want to watch a movie?” she asked, reaching over to grab the remote off the coffee table.
“No my mouth hurts too much.” he said, which didn’t really make any sense.
“Okay. Do you want me to get you a book or something?” she already knew the answer to that question, but she asked just in case. It wasn’t like he could even really read in his state.
“What if you told me a story?” he suggested eagerly. He looked so tired and worn out, cuddled up in the fleece blanket and staring at her expectantly. He’d had an awful day. How could she say no to him?
“Okay.” she agreed reluctantly, “I do have one story.”
Jake looked at her, wide-eyed and attentive.
“There is an old Cuban legend of La Milagrosa.” Amy began, “My dad used to tell it to us. Her name was Amelia Goyri, and she grew up in Egido, and fell in love with her second cousin, Jose Vicente.”
Jake’s face screwed up in disgust, “My cousin’s name is Todd. He has bacne.”
Amy laughed, “it was a long, long time ago. The two got married in June of 1900 after a secret courtship. Anyway, she got pregnant, and Jose and she were overjoyed. But, she lost the baby, and passed away too.”
“Oh no!” Jake’s brows shot up in surprise and upset.
“Jose would visit their shared grave every single day after they died. He was devastated. There was a very elaborate crypt that Jose would take rings from and knock on her grave every day, as if he was trying to wake her up and speak to her.”
“This is sad.” Jake observed unhappily.
“Hold on.” Amy told him, “So Jose visited everyday and continued this ritual, and other people started to notice. His love for her was so strong that it grew into a legend, people started to wonder if his rituals were truly something supernatural, and maybe he really could bring her back. A sculpture of Amelia and the baby was made, and Jose was said to always repeat the phrase “You never turn your back on a lady, least of all to my beloved Amelia!”
“Dude’s got it bad.” Jake said.
Amy smiled, “Yeah. So, he repeated his ritual every day, people starting to believe he was really resurrecting her with his love. In 1914, he wanted to see his beloved one last time, so they opened the crypt. The story goes, she was intact, holding their child in her arms, just as the statue depicted them. His love was so strong, that it really did bring them back together.”
“Whoa.” Jake shook his head, “That’s badass.”
“It’s just a legend.” Amy shrugged, “but the statue is beautiful. And I think it’s really sweet. I mean, the idea of loving someone so much that you don’t give up on them, even after they die.”
Jake watched her for a moment, before he replied in a completely serious voice, “Sometimes she is so amazing, even being a zombie wouldn't keep you apart.”
Amy laughed, “Who exactly are you referring to?”
“My coworker.” he raised a finger to his lips, “Don’t tell Amy, but I wanna like, be her husband someday. But she doesn't like me, so don’t tell her.”
Amy’s mouth fell slack, eyes wide as she stared at him in disbelief, “What?”
“Yeah I really annoy her.” he shook his head, “She doesn’t know how I feel. I’ll get over it. The more I annoy her the more mad she’ll get at me and shove me away, and it will get easier.”
“You...like me?” Amy demanded.
His brows knit together in confusion, “Um…I like Detective Santiago. She works at the 99th precinct.” he glanced around at his cluttered living room, rubbing his face, “My mouth hurts.”
Jake was obviously very disoriented and confused. He didn’t mean what he said. Hell, one second he knew who she was and the next he didn’t even recognize her. He was sleep deprived and recovering from surgery. Nothing he said meant anything right now.
But...what if it did? What if it was true?
“I think you should take a nap.” Amy told him in a shaking voice, “We still have an hour or so before we can take out the gauze and get some food in you. You look tired.”
“I am tired.” he agreed, scooching his butt and legs down to lay against the armrest of the couch, eyes closing with ease. Amy stared at him for a second, but his eyes popped open and he asked, “You aren't gonna leave, right?”
She shook her head, “No Jake. I’m right here.”
“Good. Cause I think I need to get my wisdom teeth taken out.”
A small smile pulled up at her lips, “Close your eyes Jake.”
He followed her orders instantly, closing his eyes again and resting back on the pillow. He still had the blanket curled up under his chin, and in a few moments, he was slack-jawed and snoring.
Amy couldn’t even begin to process everything he’d just said to her. She wasn’t sure how soon he’d be back to himself, and he may not remember any of this. He likely wouldn’t; he was pretty drugged up. She couldn’t take what he said to heart.
Even though she desperately wanted it to be true. Though, that wasn’t enough. Just because she wanted it to be reality, didn’t mean it was.
For right now, she decided to be content with watching the rise and fall of his chest, and the smooth contours of his sleeping face.
It wasn’t nearly everything she wanted, but for now, it was enough. Maybe he’d have more to say when he woke up.