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Late summer was when things slowly turned from unbearably hot but still relatively relaxing if you’re out in a cool area, which then turns into a semi-warm spring like feeling that will all eventually turn into autumn. Things have changed over the circus over time, from how the trees are placed to the amount of flowers, even new structures had been added to the center of the little floating island they had called home.
Laying out the white and red checkered blanket over a patch of grass, Jax and Ragatha make sure it’s nice and even before setting their basket down on top of it them sitting together. For the most part, the weather was warm but with a cool breeze, and more clouds in the sky than they could count.
“…Can’t believe summer is almost over for us.” Ragatha whispers as she brushes back some of her red hair, “But, it does make me excited to see what Caine has in store for autumn.”
“Y’know, I’ve actually really liked autumn as a season. Did I ever tell ya that?” Jax asked as he opens the basket and sets down their thermoses, likely filled with water or lemonade.
“Oh really? No you never told me!” Ragatha exclaimed in surprise, looking towards him with mild shock as she takes her thermos.
Jax chuckles as he opens his lavender thermos, which was decorated with stars patterns, rabbit stickers, and lemon slices before taking a quick swig of it like he was drinking at a bar. Jokingly, he lets out an exaggerated sighs and looks at Ragatha with a wide smile.
“Yeah! It’s not hot as hell, that’s for one, then you have the season where everyone would come over to buy all the pumpkins from your household,” Jax began to say as he took out their food after setting down the thermos, “And to top it all off, Halloween! Best holiday ever! …Next to Christmas obviously.”
“Oh you…” Ragatha teases as she laughs a little afterwards, looking at what Jax had brought along.
Laid out on the blanket was a family sized bag of kettle cooked potatoes chips, a well contained bowl of chopped water melon slices, a plate of homemade chocolate cookies, and something packed in a heated container which caught Ragatha’s eye.
“Hm? What’s that now?” Ragatha asks, reaching out to open it, glancing at Jax to see his reaction.
“See for yourself! You’re gone love it.” Jax says with a big grin on his face, which definitely may raise a few alarms.
“…Please tell me there’s no rubber centipedes.” Ragatha asks cautiously, seeing Jax frown a little and nudge the container to her.
“Nah…Nah. It’s something you’ll actually like.” Jax says as his eyes look at her sincerely.
Ragatha’s expression wavers slightly at his words and the expression on his face, with only mild hesitation left is when she opens the warm container. Steam emits out alongside a rich, fresh, and comfy aroma of cheese and tomatoes filling the air around them. Looking inside, Ragatha sees a set of toasty sandwiches with what looks like cheese, tomatoes, basil, and the scent of aioli on tasted ciabatta bread.
“Oooh, Caprese sandwiches!” Ragatha gasped in delight as she picked one up, smiling at Jax.
“Yup!” Jax exclaims as he picks up his sandwich and takes a bit into it with a wink, “Eat up, dollface. I made these with the best of my ability!”
Ragatha raised an eyebrow with a smile.
“Best of your ability?” She asks with a side smile, before taking a bite of the sandwich.
Her teeth sunk into the sandwich cleaning with a soft crunch and her tastebuds were floored by the flavors. The juicy tomatoes tasted sweet, paired with the warmth and cheesiness of the mozzarella, and the warm toasted ciabatta with aioli made her melt with delight at how warm and comfy it tastes.
“Mmm…oh you’re underestimating yourself…” Ragatha hummed into the food as she chews, savoring the meal provided to her.
“Told ya you’d like it.” Jax grins as he takes another bite, humming into delight, “Caine’s got some good food in that book of his.”
“Caine’s got a cookbook like this?” Ragatha questions after she swallows her first bite, licking the side of her lips absentmindedly.
“Yeah! He’s got a bunch of these recipes inside it,” Jax says as he reaches out and grabs a cookie, “it’s how I was able to get all this food made up. Even the chips.”
Ragatha reaches out and tries some of the kettle cooked chips with one hand, tasting the salty crunchy chips with wide eyed realization. These didn’t taste at all from a produced product but home made, and glanced at Jax in sheer shock as he eats the cookie without any worries.
“Holy…” Ragatha whispered, with Jax chuckling after he finished his cookie.
“Yeah, I did that.” Jax replies smoothly as he takes a bite of his caprese sandwich again.
Ragatha tries another chip with a bright smile on her face, audibly squealing inking delight from the taste as she tries the sliced watermelons now. Seeing his favorite lady eat with much delight, Jax’s smug face softens into a look of genuine pride and satisfaction over seeing her delight before he takes another bite from his sandwich.
For the next several minutes, there was nothing spoken between them as they ate their food, enjoyed the scenery, and the whole world around them. The taste of warm food on their tongues, the breeze against their skin, and the sound of birds chirping away made everything all the more peaceful.
Right when they were about done with their food, Jax sets aside his almost finished sandwich in the container before opening his arms to Ragatha who instantly crawled over into his arms. Resting her head against his chest, she was met with hands on her back and waist and a chin on her head.
“There we go…” Jax whispered quietly, before nuzzling his lips against her forehead.
“Jaaaaax…” Ragatha whined, laughing as she closed her eyes when she feels another soft kiss press against her head.
“What? I’m just giving my favorite ragdolly some well earned kisses. I’m updating your affirmations, sweetheart.” Jax teased, but nonetheless leaned in and kisses her cheek.
“Mmm…You’re spoiling me…” Ragatha murmurs, opening her eye a bit as she reached toward towards his face.
Eyes are met and lips are locked as they brought each other closer, the taste of those warm sandwiches and cookies fresh on their lips, making them ease further against the blanket they’re on. The shade provided makes them feel cooler under the trees, with Jax’s ears twitching every so often as he moved his lips to the side of her head.
“…Ragatha…?” Jax questions suddenly, his voice low and gentle.
“Yes…?” Ragatha responds earnestly, her dark eye glancing up at him.
“…Can we do this again?” Jax asks, looking away knowing what he asked may seem silly, “…It’s nice not having to think about stupid stuff.”
“Yes of course, honey bunny…” Ragatha sweetly replied as she leans in, kissing his cheek and winking at him.
Jax sighs in relief as he brings her closer to him; burying his face at the crook of her neck and resting his ears at the back of his head. If he had expressed in anyway how much he loved her, he could never find the right words to express how much he loves her. It feels boundless, limitless, and indescribable because of how much he became better because of her.
And he wouldn’t change it for the world.
“…Thank you, Ragatha…” Jax whispered as he closes his eyes, savoring the flavor of the food on his tongue and the feeling of her in his arms.
The breeze picked up again as Ragatha smiled, her bright red hair curled against his fingers, and the feeling of her heartbeat against his. Jax’s pupils expanded the second he felt Ragatha lean up and kiss him on the forehead, his usually wide smile non-existent but replaced with a small smile that didn’t show his teeth. And yet, it was the most fulfilling smile he made in his own mind.
Ragatha looks at him, with flushed cheeks and a smile, before pulling him in for another kiss. Jax obliged eagerly, bringing her loser to him, with his free hand that’s on her back to rest against her cheek. His heart thudded faster, his back against the blanket, and his head secured in her warm hands.
After pulling their faces away for a brief moment, Jax’s eyes started to close a bit as he admires the sight of Ragatha smiling down at him. His heart was full of adoration as he brushed away some of her hair from her face.
“…I don’t deserve you…” Jax whispered thoughtfully, watching Ragatha giggle.
“You’re more loved than you’ll ever know…” Ragatha murmurs with equal adoration.
“…I wish I knew.” Jax replies quietly before closing his eyes.
Ragatha settles against his chest and rests her head under his chin, feeling his arms once again wrap around her as the sun began to dip slightly over the horizon. Slowly, time will go on as per usual, and Jax will remember he has to finish his sandwich. But his concern over food can wait, right now, he’s more focused on Ragatha.
They have all the time they could ever ask for, and are spending it wisely.