Work Text:
Nate had a grin on his face as he leaned against the kitchen counter, watching Sid stir her coffee. She was wearing one of his old t-shirts, the hem barely brushing her thighs, her hair still a little messy from sleep. To Nate, she looked effortlessly gorgeous, even with that familiar crease of concentration between her brows. The light streaming in from the window caught her in a way that made him pause, just for a second, to admire her.
"You're staring," Sid said without looking up, but Nate caught the slight curve of her lips.
"Can't help it," he said, pushing himself off the counter and walking up behind her. "You're just so... old."
Sid rolled her eyes, though the smile stuck. "Real original, Nate."
"What?" Nate teased, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind. "You're practically ancient. I mean, you were in high school when I was still figuring out how to ride a bike. You’ve got a whole *decade* of life experience on me."
Sid let out a sigh, but her body relaxed into his embrace, and he felt her lean back against him. "Eight years is not a decade, and I wasn't *that* old when you were learning how to ride a bike."
Nate chuckled, nuzzling into her neck. "Still feels like it sometimes. You were probably dating your first boyfriend while I was still figuring out how to tie my shoes."
"Okay, now you’re pushing it," Sid said, but she turned around in his arms, facing him with a bemused look. "You're not too young to get your ass kicked, you know that?"
Nate grinned wider, his hands sliding up to her hips. "Oh, I know. I like it when you get all feisty. Makes me forget how old you really are."
Sid narrowed her eyes, playfully swatting his chest. "You really want to do this today?"
"Do what?" Nate asked, feigning innocence. "I’m just saying, you’ve got all this wisdom, all these... life experiences. I’m just here trying to keep up with you, grandma."
Sid let out a huff, but there was amusement in her eyes. She grabbed his collar and tugged him closer. "You think you're so funny, don’t you?"
"I think I'm hilarious," Nate said, his voice dropping to a softer tone, his grin faltering as he got lost in how good she felt in his arms. "But, all jokes aside... you know you’re the sexiest woman I’ve ever met, right?"
That caught Sid off guard. She blinked up at him, the teasing tension between them suddenly shifting into something warmer. "What?"
Nate’s grin softened into something more genuine as he looked at her, his hands gently tracing her hips. "I mean it. You’re absolutely gorgeous, Sid. Age, whatever, that doesn’t matter. I’ve never met anyone as sexy or as badass as you."
Sid bit her lip, the blush creeping up her neck. "Nate…"
"You know it’s true," he said, his voice soft now, serious in a way that made Sid's teasing smile fade into something more thoughtful. "I don’t care how much older you are than me. I love *you*. And I love every single thing about you."
For a moment, Sid just stared at him, a little stunned by his sudden sincerity. Then, she let out a small laugh, shaking her head as she rested her forehead against his chest. "You’re such a sap sometimes, you know that?"
"Only for you," Nate said, grinning again as he pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "Besides, it’s true. Age doesn’t make a difference when you look this good."
Sid looked up at him, her smile softening. "You’re lucky I like you, you know."
"Pretty sure you *love* me," Nate teased, leaning down to kiss her gently, his hands pulling her closer. "But yeah, I know I’m lucky."
Sid sighed against his lips, her hands sliding up around his neck. "Maybe I do. But if you call me old one more time, I swear…"
Nate laughed, tightening his arms around her as he kissed her again, softer this time. "I’ll take my chances."