Chapter Text
Eleven Years Ago
She was almost there. She was going to make it. She was almost. Fucking. There. It wasn’t even important, she highly doubted Jay cared about such a ridiculous holiday, she didn’t even care about it. It was just Vivienne who’d gotten in her head and the more her friend focused on getting them home in time to ‘celebrate’, her and John who thankfully took half her teasing, well… the more Tess thought about how much she would like that. She didn’t care about the holiday, she really didn’t, she just wanted to see Jay again. To lay on his chest while he played with her hair, to curl into his side while he and Mouse made manly noises at whatever game was on or wrap her arms around him in the shower or bath. He had a tiny fucking bath too but they made it work. And best of all, to go to sleep knowing he was there, and that he still would be when she woke, whether that was every forty-five minutes or after ten hours. He would be there.
Just as soon as she got there.
If she’d had the energy Tess would’ve booked it up the stairs, he was only on the fourth floor but she didn’t so she waited for the elevator, wasting time by checking the time on her phone. Two oh eight a.m. Was he still having nightmares? She hoped not but it did make her hesitate before pulling back the loose baseboard by their door to fish out the spare key, doing her best to be silent as she entered. The last thing any of them needed was to think they were being broken into. For a split second when she saw the figure standing in their hallway she wondered if they already had been but then her brain recognized the silhouette and in three familiar strides she was in Jay’s arms.
He held her like he’d never let her go and it hurt to that he would, that she would leave but she pushed those thoughts back to focus on the way his hands ran over her, certain but gentle. Assessing and soothing.
Bringing her home.
“Home.” He repeated in a voice that was hoarse enough she knew he’d only just woken, and low enough to make her toes curl, nodding like the world had been set right before he lifted her up and carried her to his room.
Neither of them liked pulling apart but she did like getting to remove the layers between them, as much as he enjoyed looking at her; not out of lust, not right now though that better kick in soon. But because he couldn’t be okay if she wasn’t. But she was, this time, this last op had been frustrating but not especially long, or dangerous. The only cuts she had were accidental.
Or self-inflicted.
“I might’ve shaved on the plane.” She muttered when she realized he was mapping them out, just enough light from the window to see his furrowed brow as he ran his hands up and down her legs.
Tess wasn’t going to lie, to herself or to him if he asked but there was a second where his laughter stung, but only a second. “You could be Big Foot and I’d still find you sexy.”
He found her sexy.
Her.
This perfect man found her sexy.
Big feet were not what she was thinking about right now.
She must’ve said that aloud because he grinned and his darkening eyes made her breath catch, what was left stolen when he swept her up, forcefully taking her mouth even as he reverently laid her down. This fucking man. Her fucking man and she made sure as much love as he showed her she gave it all right back, her earlier desperation traded for gratitude. Then a different kind of ache, one she endeavoured to make him feel just as keenly but what really made her clench was what came after. When Jay pulled her so close she was almost half under him, wrapped in that smell of chocolate and moss, his fingers absentmindedly playing with her hair and his nose intentionally rubbing her temple… That made her heart tug, changing its rhythm so it beat in time with his.
Till the day they stopped.
She loved this feeling. This safety, this warmth that only came from Jay. Even though they’d only met five times, six now, she had spent more time in his bed than she had in any other save her own and that gap was lessening. But it was more than that. It wasn’t just comfort with him, or trust, it was… Peace. A kind she had only ever found in him and one she prayed to all the gods she didn’t believe in that he found in her.
He was waking her. Not intentionally but even though she wasn’t quite conscious yet she felt him shift and knew by the way he settled against her he was up, most likely staring at her. He liked to do that, for hours sometimes though he hated when the attention was on him, the same way she did. They were good at that, complementing each other, like two sides of the same coin. Three a whistle from the kitchen reminded her, not the cheerful or teasing ones she had happily become used to but a mechanical one. The kettle.
The soldier and the spy, the sniper and the spotter, and the mouse and the moose.
What a group they made.
The gratitude that she was home, that this was her home was so overwhelming she had to grab Jay before she could look at him, a silly but real, deep, fear he would somehow disappear when she opened her eyes. But he didn’t. He was right there, steady and sweet and with the softest fucking smile.
“Hi.” She whispered and he might’ve said it back but if he did it came out in the loose breath before he kissed her and that was a far better welcome. Tess didn’t think she was ever going to stop enjoying the way he kissed her.
“Happy Valentines Day.” He whispered when he pulled away, just barely, the big hand that cupped her face keeping her in place, not that she wanted to go anywhere.
He had remembered.
He cared.
The lump in her throat was beaten by the sudden thump against his door that startled her but while Jay rolled his eyes she was quick to grin. “Put on clothes lovebirds!! And open up cause my hands are full.”
With a quiet huff of mild annoyance Jay got up, his search for her blouse letting her enjoy the view before he slipped on his sweats and let in her second favourite soldier boy.
“So.” Mouse said with a teasing grin as he smoothly took Jay’s seat, careful as he passed over her Wonder Woman mug- and kept the coffee they’d both assumed was for Jay. “Happy Valentines Day.”
“What a lucky girl am I to have two such studly men looking out for me?” She joked but it was so true it made her heart beat funny- once upon a time, meaning three years ago, she never thought she’d find one boy to bring her tea in the morning.
Now she had two.
“Well I won’t spoil his plans, but I know you’ll enjoy them. Especially since I helped him. But I get you for breakfast.” He said with a wink, more gentle than she would’ve expected when he took hold of her jaw, her heart seeming to mimic his fingers as he gave her a little wiggle.
Tess didn’t have the words to describe it but she knew she loved him just as much as Jay, just… in a slightly different way.
“I know.” Greg smirked cockily, pressing a teasing but still warm kiss to her head before he made her laugh when he took a swig of the coffee she now knew was meant for Jay. He was the only one weird enough to not like sugar, or milk and Mouse was making the same face she did whenever she tried his.
She should probably stop at this point, she knew what it tasted like, hot dirt, but his laugh was sweeter than any sugar.
He took the drink with a wry grin that said he enjoyed watching their antics but after they exchanged those shoulder slaps men liked put it down to sit back beside her, his face soft with that combination of somber sweetness he’d perfected. “You feel like going out today?”
“Of course! I just…” She just wished she’d kept her mouth shut but as they did with him when he raised a brow the words that had caught in her throat came tumbling out. “You made plans even though you knew I might not be here?”
For a second Jay just blinked before he looked her over slowly, thoroughly, making her heart squeeze tightly when he gave a slow but steady shrug. “I knew you might be.”
Because that was enough for him.
She knew it wasn’t easy on him when she left and until she stopped leaving that wasn’t something she could understand but Tess wanted to learn what it was like for him when she was gone, but even with that heartache… He meant it when he said he just wanted her to come home. Preferably not broken but he would put her back together if she was. Because he loved her. She could see it in the way his eyes lit up when she leaned in for a kiss, could feel his excitement as he gathered her clothes. Jay hadn’t just remembered today, he’d planned for it.
For her.
This was amazing.
Every part of today, well technically yesterday- it had all been amazing. Perfect. When Mouse had said he’d helped Jay come up with the plan… well it wasn’t that she thought either of them incapable but this holiday was notorious for being disliked by men. But not these two. Mouse had gone all out for breakfast- eggs, sausages, bacon, American and Canadian, waffles, French toast, potatoes, hollandaise sauce, whipped cream, cantaloupe, strawberries, blueberries and raspberries. Not all their favourites, but all of hers. And a lot of it. If she hadn’t made it on time, the fridge would’ve been stocked for a week.
It was a good thing Jay had arranged for them to have a late lunch, at the Aquarium of all places which hadn’t been close to what she’d expected but again it was perfect. Not because it was one of her favourite places, or because their plans to break into the otter exhibit were rock solid, but because he was there. Because he knew how much she loved this place, and because he knew how to make her laugh, and blush. They did have a five-minute whisper-fight when he’d taken her shopping, at one of the cities nicest districts where she’d thought they’d just be window shopping. She should have known better. But then so should he. The look on his face when he’d realized she’d bought the jacket she’d caught him eying had probably been similar to her expression when he’d insisted on buying her a dress she’d decided was outside what should be spent on one article of clothing. But he said she was worth it, which was why he hadn’t been able to fight her when she replied he was too. Not much, and she didn’t like that he tried, but by the end of it they’d been laughing.
And kissing.
There was a lot of kissing going on.
A lot of quick ones, on their cheeks, the top of her head and side of his shoulder, a few deeper, lingering ones when he caught her feeling stunned he had done all this for her. When she tried to show him the depth of her gratitude, though she had other plans for that. Though to be honest the first was an extension of one of his. Because while breakfast and lunch had been enough for her, shopping an extra bonus Jay hadn’t stopped there, and he also hadn’t stopped at just taking her to dinner at literally the fanciest hotel in the city. He’d booked a room too. And if he was going to spend a couple of paycheques on her then Tess was damn sure going to do the same for him. That was her promise- that their love would always be equal.
So she’d extended their stay another night and booked a whiskey tasting tour for this afternoon, and had plans later to buy some different kinds of outfits. Still to be determined if she’d let him pick them out or make him wait for the surprise.
All she had to do now was tell him.
Still she took a minute after leaving the bathroom, where she’d snuck away to make the necessary calls, to take him in. The way he took up the bed while still leaving enough space for her, how one hand was reaching for her. How quickly they grabbed her when she climbed on top of him, his sleepy grin setting her heart aflutter. “Good morning.”
“This is a great fucking morning.” He mumbled against her lips, his deep, contented sigh making it hard to contain her excitement.
“You know how you spoiled me yesterday?”
“I do.” He replied with a nod, looking her over with a self-satisfied smile. “I loved every minute of it.”
“Good. Cause today I am going to spoil you.”
For a second he just blinked but then his brow scrunched with disapproval- no.
Discomfort.
“Valentines Day is over.” He tried and she could see in him that same shrinking urge she felt when someone paid too much attention but thank fuck the same thing that happened to her happened to him the longer he stared at her.
He realized just how nice it was when the person paying attention genuinely cared about you.
When you didn’t have to deny the craving to be seen and cared for because they did it all on their own.
“What’s my first present?” Jay finally asked with a smirk and it was a fight to not get distracted by his darkening eyes when he rolled over to press her back into the mattress.
“Well it’s not a present, but I got us a late checkout.”
“Yeah?”
“Mmm. Tomorrow morning.”
There was the shock before the beaming grin, the joy backed by conviction as he kissed her so fiercely her head spun. Whatever one of them needed, the other would do it. Her boy and his girl.
To whatever end.