Work Text:
It was rare to come home and not see your boyfriend already there, watching whatever film he was obsessed with this week, especially when he was on leave. You’d never complain, though it was comical to see him in your space. His muscular frame made your furniture look like it belonged in a dollhouse, sometimes. So, today, you were a little sullen to come home and not find him stretched out on your gray sofa, one arm curled behind his head — putting that delicious bicep on display — and one leg hanging off the arm of the couch.
Though before you could allow your mild and unreasonable disappointment to settle in, your phone rang, your favorite coworker's name flashing across the screen.
“Hey, you know I'm not currently being paid to talk to you right now, right?” The teasing lilt to your voice was unmistakable.
“She quit!” Your coworker barked in response, before you could get another word in edgewise.
“What do you mean she quit?”
You put the phone on speaker, then set it down onto your kitchen counter, while you headed toward the fridge to retrieve a bottle of water.
“She marched into the office, handed over an envelope, then walked back to her desk. She’d already packed everything up, so she just grabbed a box and rolled.”
“What?” Your voice had jumped an octave. You stilled, standing at your kitchen island with your hands against the countertop.
It was at just that moment, your front door opened, and Jake appeared in the doorway, arms full of grocery bags. You waved, then held a finger to your lips and pointed to your phone. He nodded and mouthed an ‘okay’ as he came nearer. Then, your coworker launched into the story, as well as her theories surrounding the resignation of the third assistant editor at the magazine you worked for. You let her go on, muttering a comment or two of your own when you could, for so long that Jake had replaced your bottle of water with a glass of wine. It had taken you a moment to recognize that it was your favorite brand, but last you checked, you’d ran out last week and had forgotten about buying a new bottle. You were definitely listening to your coworker, but your eyes followed Jake around the kitchen, while he busied himself with getting a start on dinner.
At the next lull in the conversation, you cut in, “Darlin’, I gotta go. Jake’s here.” This earned you a particularly salacious sounding oooh. “Yeah, I’ll see you tomorrow. Make sure you’re bright and early, so we can have front row seats to the mess.”
When you hung up the phone, you inhaled to speak, but Jake beat you to it, still facing the stove.
“That bitch Debbie strikes again. I’m telling you, somebody needs to put her in her place. I think it should be you, by the way, I’m just saying.”
Blinking slowly, you wordlessly stared at your boyfriend’s back. Your silence prompted him to turn around, fingers still curled around the handle of the pot he was currently sauteing asparagus in. “What?” He glanced down at himself, then a knowing look crossed his features. With a free hand he gestured toward his body, and the black hoodie he currently wore. “I know, I stole the Navy hoodie back, but it’s really comfortable. I promise I will wash it and return it to your closet where it belongs.”
“Not that, you doofus,” you snorted, closing the small space between you to hop up on the counter beside where he was cooking. You practically had stars in your eyes. “You remembered my boss’ name?”
A look of bewilderment creased your boyfriend’s brows as his gaze settled on you. “Obviously?”
And there you were again, blinking like a fuckin’ owl because what was your life right now? Your perfect boyfriend with his perfect, gorgeous smile, in your tiny kitchen, cooking you dinner and remembering the small details of your life. And, sure, the bar was in hell, but to say your past partners were less than ideal was an incredibly generous statement.
“I can’t believe you remembered that,” you finally admitted, tone noncommittal.
“What do you mean?” He seemed genuinely confused.
“I mean, I haven’t always received that level of effort before.”
His lips slipped into a frown for a moment, just long enough for you to catch it. “It’s you,” he said softly. “You’re worth it. You’re worth every level of effort. Every level? Any amount? However you say that properly. You’re worth it.” He paused then to point an accusatory finger in your direction. “Don’t make fun of me, English Major.”
He shot you a grin, but the tips of his ears were bright red — a telltale sign of embarrassment. Jake hated when he rambled on, but you loved it. Especially when he wasn’t cognizant of his accent, and it poured out over his words like molasses.
“So, anyway,” he continued, now returning his full attention to the stove. “Enough about Deb. Hate her. How’s Kelly and the baby? Did she and Jason like the gift you got them? I feel like babies can never have enough onesies.”
“We got them,” you corrected, gently nudging Jake’s arm with your own. After all, he had helped you select a gift for one of the other editorial assistants without having ever met the woman or her partner. No, in fact, most of your coworkers only existed as characters in stories to him, but he was fascinated by every little detail you told him. Moreover, as you discovered tonight, he’d retained every detail you’d told him, committed them to memory. Despite the busy, intricate details of his own job, he remembered all of these silly little things about the staff for the magazine you worked for.
You watched with amusement as a blush colored the blond’s cheeks, though he nodded before parroting back a short ‘we.’ Your eyes continued to study him as he prepared your shared meal, watched the way his eyes lit up when he found you looking at him, the way he babbled on about his cooking technique.
You were desperately, unshakably in love with this man. And if you were unsure before, you knew it now. And it didn’t matter that sometimes he was worlds away, didn’t matter that you wouldn’t always be in the same time zone, or that sometimes you’d have to fall asleep without the warmth of his embrace. No, this man, and the love he inspired in you, was worth it.
“Did you hear what I said?” he interrupted your reverie, eyes narrowed in playful irritation.
“I’m in love with you, Jake Seresin.”
And you weren’t nervous. You knew this man loved you, too, all the same. Because he came home to you and bought your favorite wine and listened to your ranting. Still, your heart was eased when a look of pure adoration crossed his features when he looked at you. He reached a hand out to turn off the fire on the stove, then came to stand between your parted thighs.
“Oh, angel,” he practically cooed the pet name, as his large palms came up to cradle your face. “You have no idea how long I have wanted to…” He trailed off.
“I know.” You were practically purring with delight as the pads of his thumbs swept gently against your skin.
“I love you.” The words were soft and sweet as they fell from his lips.
As your hands grasped the sides of his hoodie to draw him closer, you knew you were never letting this man go.