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Jacob makes their way into the kitchen. They’re still in their pajamas and their hair sticks out in every direction, mussed with sleep. It's a cold, rainy morning in Los Angeles, a rare occurrence on both accounts. The rain gently patters on the roof and the wind whistles outside as Jacob yawns and stretches. Jaiden got out of bed before him this morning, another unusual occurrence. He finds her already sitting on the kitchen counter, her appearance equally disheveled and her eyes just as sleepy as she takes another bite of cereal. Wordlessly, Jacob walks over to Jaiden, burying their face in her shoulder. Jaiden giggles and sets her cereal bowl to the side, pulling Jacob into a proper hug. Jacob hums. Her hands are warm against his back. It’s nice. This is nice.
He lifts his head up, now resting his chin on top of Jaiden’s shoulder. He looks out the window behind her, watching the trees sway in the wind. Meanwhile, Jaiden moves a hand into his hair, gently scratching at his scalp. Jacob groans in response and lets his eyes flutter shut, trying his damndest not to fall asleep right then and there, standing up in the kitchen. This lasts a few minutes before Jacob finally pulls back. As much as he would like to spend the rest of the day wrapped up in Jaiden’s arms, he should probably get some breakfast.
“How’d you sleep?” Jaiden asks.
“Alright,” Jacob responds, his voice low and rough from sleep. “It got cold during the night.”
Jaiden hums in response. If she’s thinking something, she doesn't offer it up. Jacob sets a pan on the stovetop, flicking on the gas and watching the flame ignite. They take the eggs from the fridge, cracking two into the pan. They hear Jaiden set her cereal bowl in the sink, already finished with her breakfast. As he cooks, Jacob watches Taylor jump up onto the counter. She makes her way towards Jaiden and nuzzles her face into Jaiden’s hand. Jaiden giggles and scratches the top of her head as Taylor purrs, settling into her lap.
“She’s a lot like you in the mornings.” Jaiden giggles. Jacob scoffs and rolls their eyes in response, but the softness in their eyes betrays their true sentiments.
“Do you want eggs?” He asks, opening the fridge for a second time to grab out cheese and ham. Jaiden hums to the affirmative. Jacob nods, generously sprinkling cheese on top of the eggs and adding ham to only one side of the pan. He covers the pan with a lid so the cheese will melt and turns back to look at Jaiden. When he turns to face her, he realizes she’s been looking at him. “You were staring.” he giggles, “What’s on your mind?”
His tone is light, but Jaiden’s eyes widen slightly. She breaks eye contact, suddenly trying to look anywhere but his face. She looks like she’s been caught doing something she shouldn’t, despite the fact that she hasn't moved from the counter. She tries to open her mouth to give an explanation, but nothing comes out.
“Hey, hey, I was joking. You're okay.” Jacob soothes, slight amusement creeping into his voice. He starts clearing off the counter, snatching the broken eggshells and tossing them in the trash.
“I just –” She stammers, “I have kind of a weird question for you.” Jacob raises his eyebrows at her, now intrigued by whatever she has to say.
“Yeah?” He prompts as he continues to clear the counter, grabbing the ham and cheese and placing them back into the fridge.
“This is probably stupid but, if, ya’know, I asked to kiss you, would you say yes?” Jacob’s heart catches in his throat. He takes a step backwards, peering around the fridge door to look at Jaiden. Her face is flushed as she looks down into her lap, picking at the skin around her fingernails. Oh god, she isn't joking. Jacob laughs nervously as he racks his brain for a response.
“Yeah, probably.” He tries to ignore the way his heart hammers in his chest, feigning confidence. A tense silence hangs between the two of them for a few seconds. When Jaiden speaks again, her voice is soft.
“Can I kiss you?”
Jacob giggles, the tension draining from his shoulders as he’s overtaken by endearment, “I had a feeling that was going to be your next question.” He looks over to meet Jaiden’s eyes. “Can I ask why first?”
“I’ve just been thinking about it. I’ve never really wanted to kiss anyone before, but I think… it’d be nice if it was you.”
“Yeah?” Jacob asks, smiling softly.
“Yeah.” The two sit in silence for a moment.
“So can I kiss you?”
Jacob laughs, “Yes Jaiden, you can kiss me.” Jaiden giggles, a stupid grin plastered on her face as she hops off the counter. Jacob turns the knob on the stove to low, he has a feeling it might be a while before he can go back to cooking. His hands immediately find his way to her waist, pulling her close. His eyes trace over her familiar features, taking her all in at once.
Not wanting her confidence to fade, Jaiden moves quickly, cupping Jacob’s face in both hands and kissing him square on the mouth. She sinks into the kiss, taking in the way Jacob’s lips slot against hers –and fuck, nothing has ever felt this right. She’s shocked to realize that she’s hardly anxious at all. She always thought her first kiss was going to be scary or intimidating. Other people had always made it seem like such a big deal. But this didn’t feel scary or intimidating at all. It just feels like Jacob. She can feel the calluses on Jacob’s hands from afternoons spent at the gym, smell the scent of their favorite shampoo, feel the texture of their soft lips on hers.
Jacob isn’t sure how long the kiss lasts before Jaiden pulls away. He lets his eyes flutter open and looks expectantly at Jaiden, searching her eyes for any kind of reaction.
“Thoughts?” he asks, half jokingly. Jaiden just smiles and rolls her eyes before bringing her hand up to the collar of Jacob’s shirt. She tugs softly at the collar, pulling Jacob back into another kiss.
The rest of their morning fades into domestic bliss as the rain pours outside. Breakfast is eventually finished off and dishes are tossed in the sink. They cuddle under a pile of blankets on the couch and put on whatever sitcom they're currently making their way through, stealing quick kisses all the while. They're both pretty sure this is the happiest they've ever been.