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It’s hard for Jayce to stay awake on days like this, where he and Mel stay in together on a cold, rainy weekend. Everything about their living room is relaxing right now, with it illuminated by a couple of stray lamps and the fireplace, the sound of rain pattering against the windows. The smell of the apple cider Jayce had made earlier drifts into the living room from the kitchen, and he can still taste it on his tongue even now as he rests on the couch with Mel.
Mel leans against one arm rest, one hand turning the pages of a book on art history and the other toying with Jayce’s hair. He’s stretched out across the rest of the couch with his head resting on her lap, a pillow beneath his weaker leg. It’s hard to keep his eyes from drifting closed, yet he doesn’t think giving in to his body’s desire to sleep would be a bad thing. Right now, there’s nothing that he needs to worry about. He can feel completely comfortable— completely safe— here with his girlfriend.
If heaven exists, Jayce thinks it must be something like this.
They’ve been like this for a while now. In these quiet moments together, it’s easy to forget about the rest of the world. Everything else seems less important to Jayce than just being with Mel right now. It’s not as if either of them normally have lazy days like this. Both of them are busy, driven people, always focused on what comes next. But in these rare, quiet moments, they can actually slow down and relax.
Though as Jayce lays on Mel’s lap, he does think he could use a bit of food. It’s not quite late enough for them to start coming up with dinner plans, but it’s early enough that a small snack shouldn’t hurt.
Still, it’s hard for him to convince himself to get up when he’s so comfortable here. He idly nuzzles his face against Mel’s thighs, sighing as she tangles his hair between her fingers. Jayce thinks he would be perfectly content staying like this for the rest of his life, though he knows that wouldn’t actually be possible.
There are other things he’ll have to do. When the new week starts and the rains clear, there’ll be plenty of things he’ll need to get done that will take him away from home and away from Mel. He’ll have to get up eventually— he’ll just have to spend every moment he can with Mel. But he thinks he can spare a quick moment to grab a snack.
Jayce gets up with a grunt, scooping his cane up from where it fell next to the couch after he tried to lean it against the arm rest. It's been years now since he injured his leg, and while the pain comes and goes, he’s gotten better at recognizing the days where it will be worse. Cold, rainy days like this are always ones that tend to cause a flare up, and he feels the familiar discomfort shoot through his leg as he gets to his feet.
Mel looks up from her book. “Where are you going?”
“Just to get a snack,” he says, leaning down to give Mel a quick kiss on the forehead. “Do you want anything? I might get some more cider too.”
“I’m fine for now, but thank you,” she replies.
Jayce gives Mel another quick kiss before he picks up his mug off the coffee table with his free hand. He drinks what little remains of the cider in it as he makes his way to the kitchen. There's a pot on the stove with the fresh apple cider he had made earlier, covered by a lid in an attempt to trap the heat so it wouldn't get cold. As he ladles some more cider into his mug it's not as hot as it was when he and Mel first went to relax in the living room, but it's still warm enough to not need to be reheated. He’ll have to tell Mel to go get some more cider soon if she wants it.
Jayce looks through their pantry quickly for a snack, eventually settling on one of the pre-packaged madeleines that Mel had picked up on her way home from work the other day. Each of them is dusted with cinnamon and sugar, carefully arranged in a box that had been kept closed with a pink ribbon. Jayce could tell when Mel brought it home that she had a difficult day— she only ever stops at that bakery when she’s exhausted and looking for a pick-me-up. He did what he could to give her another pick-me-up then with every touch and whispered word of adoration that night, and now he hopes that grabbing a madeleine for her will offer another small bit of sweetness in her day.
As Jayce makes his way back to the living room, he pauses in the doorway. From here he has a perfect view of Mel, sitting now with her legs curled up by her side as she reads. She always looks gorgeous, but there’s something about seeing her illuminated by the warmth of the fireplace that makes her even more stunning. She’s dressed in a dark green cable knit sweater, her braids decorated with golden accessories that catch the glow of the fire in them. She’s not wearing make up today, and Jayce guesses that’s part of what makes how she looks now feel so special too.
Right now Mel is completely unguarded, just as comfortable as Jayce is when they’re alone together. She doesn’t have to keep her walls up when she’s with him, and she doesn’t have to maintain any of the carefully practiced roles she usually does. It’s just the two of them here, and she feels safe enough to be completely herself. Being trusted like this by her is an honor, and it’s a gift that he’ll always treasure.
Just like he treasures the way Mel looks up at him from her book, her hazel eyes landing on him as he leans against the door frame, trying to keep some of his weight off his leg.
“What?” she asks, an adorable smile gracing her face that makes Jayce’s heart skip a beat in his chest.
“Nothing. Just enjoying the view for a second,” he says.
Mel rolls her eyes, but it’s obvious enough that she’s flattered by the compliment. “You see me every day.”
“And you’re beautiful every day,” Jayce replies as he starts moving again, making his way over to the couch. “Though you look extra pretty in that sweater.”
“Mm. Well, you’ll be seeing me in plenty more sweaters now that it’s getting colder,” Mel says.
“Maybe we can get some matching ones,” Jayce suggests as he places his mug on the coffee table, carefully resting his cane against the couch’s arm rest in hopes it won’t fall again, but sure he’ll be picking it off the floor again later.
Mel’s smile brightens even more at that. “That would be sweet.”
“Almost as sweet as you are,” he replies, resting his hand on her thigh.
“I could say the same to you.”
“You should, I like when you compliment me.”
Mel laughs, placing the thin, golden metal bookmark Jayce had made for her in her book before she leaves it on the coffee table. “Then you’re very sweet, Jayce.”
And Jayce loves the way she says his name, it rolls so beautifully off her tongue that he thinks he could listen to her say it for hours. He has before on days like this, while the two of them are under the blankets in bed with each other. But if there’s one thing that Jayce can never have enough of, it’s Mel. Everything is better with her at his side, and that’s something he hopes he’ll be able to show her every day they spend together.
“And speaking of sweet things,” Jayce says, taking the two packaged madeleines from his pocket, offering one to her.
“Oh, thank you.”
As Mel reaches out to take the offered madeleine, Jayce takes Mel’s hand in his, guiding it up to his lips to press a quick kiss to the back of her hand. “You’re welcome. And if you want some more cider, I’d go and get some soon before it gets cold.”
“I will,” she says. “But for now, I’d like to enjoy some time with the wonderful, handsome man I love.”
“Keep saying that kind of thing to me, and you’ll never be able to get rid of me,” Jayce says, though he knows that he’s with Mel forever regardless.
“Maybe that’s my plan. I want to keep you stuck with me,” Mel says with a playful smile.
“Then it’s working well. You’ve got me.”
And Mel will always have him if he has anything to say about it. Because whenever Jayce is with Mel, even cold, rainy days like this one are something to look forward to. There’s no one else he would rather spend the rest of his life with than her. As long as she’s with him, he’ll gladly be with her, and he’s sure he’ll stay with her for the rest of their lives.