Work Text:
“Hey Jess? You’re coming?”
Nick’s voice reached her as she walked back in the squadroom from the coffee machines. She shook her head as an answer.
“Not yet. I have something to do first.”
It was only then that he noticed the two coffee mugs she was carrying. As a result, a smirk formed on his lips, already knowing for who that second coffee was. And he was not surprised but there was no way he would miss an opportunity to tease his partner.
“Oh… So you’re on your way to see Jimmy!”
“Maybe.”
She answered, rolling her eyes half amused, half already dreading the teasing that, she was sure, would come. Knowing her best friend as well as she did, Jessica knew he would be expecting her to deny this and she knew she was right when she noticed his surprised expression. She barely held back a grin, proud of herself.
“So you two are…?”
“Nothing more than usual. I’m just checking on him.” With Nick's pointed look, she was not able to leave her explanation at that. “We all saw that there was something wrong going on.”
“We did?” He asked with a grin. “Or just you?”
He whispered these last few words, close to her, making sure only Jessica heard him and his innuendo was clear. Even if she had in fact been closer to Jimmy lately, sharing a few coffees here and there, or laughs or inside jokes, there was nothing more than friendship between them. Sure, there had been some flirting here and there as well that had led nowhere, neither of them daring to ask or talk about it. And she loved her friendship with Jimmy, even if their current relationship often left her wondering if there could ever be more between the two of them ever again or if Jimmy would ever have the guts to tell her he was still in love with her. But Nick surely didn’t need to know all of that. So, Jessica just shook her head.
“Whatever. I’m just being a good colleague and checking on my friend.”
“Friends, uh?” Nick asked again, his smirk not going away, but chuckling over his own coffee. “Are you sure it’s the right word to describe you and Jimmy?” The glaring stare Jessica was currently throwing his way only amused Nick even more and encouraged him to continue taunting her. “There’s always been more than friendship between you and Jimmy. And you know it.”
“Nick, please.”
“Just go see your boyfriend before the coffee turns cold.”
Jessica chuckled, ignoring the little wisecrack about Jimmy being her boyfriend and when she had almost reached the elevator, he said.
“I’ll pick you up for our date.”
When the autopsy doors opened, Jessica’s eyes instantly flew to Jimmy who was facing the sink. She noticed how he did not even lift his head or look to see who was coming, but she saw him tense a little before his voice filled the room.
“Oh my God! What now? I told you to go. That I still have stuff to do around here! On my own.”
Jimmy didn’t even try to mask the irritation in his voice, nor the heavy insistence on his last three words. That made Jessica smile because it confirmed what she already knew. Something was bothering him, and from her recent chats with Victoria, she was pretty sure she could guess what it was. Instead of asking him right away, she chose to say in an amused tone that contrasted with Jimmy’s mood.
“So… uh… Should I leave you alone?”
The scissors Jimmy had in his hands slipped from them the second she he heard her voice and he realized it was Jessica and not someone else. He turned around to face her, fearing he had been harsh to her when he had no reason to be. Not to her. But her smile and amused expression reassured him as he said, his cheeks turning a slight tint of pink.
“No, of course not. Not you, Jess.”
Jimmy dried his hands, interrupting the deep cleaning of his tools he had been doing, happily welcoming the distraction Jessica offered. She walked in, handing him his coffee and he thanked her with a smile. He had been in a bad mood ever since that morning, or probably for a few days, and Jessica’s simple presence and taking the time to come down here with coffee actually helped lighten up his mood.
He took a long sip of that coffee while Jessica’s eyes lingered on him, studying him. It was easy to note the tension in his shoulders or the tiredness on his face. She smiled, gesturing to the sink, asking.
“Are you busy?”
“I was almost done, cleaning up a bit.”
“Do you need some help?” Jimmy looked up at her, a questioning look on his face that made Jessica chuckle. “What? You know I know where everything goes.”
She shrugged and Jimmy smiled at her words. It would not be the first time she would help him after work. He actually liked it when she would come by, so he easily agreed to it and they silently finished taking care of the remnant of his tools. When she was done, she took the rag, dried her hands and playfully threw it his way, before sitting down on one of the tables and asked more seriously.
“So… What’s up?”
With a heavy, frustrated sigh, Jimmy threw the rag on the sink, making a mental note to arrange it later, and turned to Jessica. He didn’t even try pretending nothing was wrong since he knew she could tell. He took his time but walked towards her to be closer to her. He didn’t need more than the way she was looking at him right now, with so much care in her eyes, to start talking.
“It’s just… It feels like Tony is always there. Like constantly.”
He cast a glance at Jessica who silently nodded, letting him continue and allowing him to spill his guts, without being judged.
“Whenever I turn my head I see him. Here and at home. Well, home. At my house because, right now, it doesn’t feel like Vic and I are at home anymore.”
That made Jessica chuckle despite herself and she saw a little smile on his face. She put her hand on his, rubbing the top of it with her thumb. She knew Jimmy wasn’t done despite his silence and eventually he proved her right by adding.
“I can’t take his incessant talking and I know Vic is getting tired of it too. So it’s making it even worse.”
“Have you… tried talking to him?”
Jessica asked when she felt like Jimmy was done with his rent, squeezing his hand absently. Another long sigh escaped him and his eyes met hers, sarcastically saying.
“Have you met him? It would only be another one of his endless tirades about friendship, being away from Ziva and so on.”
A little smile formed on Jessica’s lips, because she knew that there was no way Jimmy would ever talk that way if he wasn’t annoyed, tired and if he wasn’t letting go of all the frustration that had bubbled up inside him. Studying him, she could tell he was just glad to have someone to talk to and she asked.
“So you’re currently putting off coming back home right now?”
“Kind of.”
Jimmy admitted in a whisper, almost ashamed of confessing such a thing, and looking down at their hands instead of Jessica’s eyes. But her little laugh made him look up at her and he felt some tension leave his body for the first time today when she said.
“Well… You know you and Vic are always more than welcome at my place. Even if Tony wasn’t invading you at home.”
“Thanks, Jess.”
Jimmy’s eyes locked with Jessica’s, holding each other’s gaze and her breath instantly caught in her throat. It felt like these two words meant much more than just a thank you. Until that specific moment, she hadn’t realized how close they were and she knew Jimmy hadn’t either. She noticed how Jimmy’s eyes, as furtive as it was, drifted towards her lips, making him lean in just enough to allow their faces to get closer. She licked her lips in anticipation, so ready for both of them to give into temptation and close the little distance left between them.
Recently, they have been walking on that very thin line between friends and more than friends, and she was so ready to finally cross that line, again. It was like they were drown to each other, just like magnets as she leaned in as well. The moment Jimmy’s breath tickled her lips, she closed her eyes, so ready to kiss Jimmy again, but the sound of the doors opening startled both of them and they turned their heads towards the unwelcome visitor in unison.
Tony Dinozzo. He was greeted by an annoyed glare coming from both Jessica and Jimmy and she softly ran her fingers on Jimmy’s arms, guessing his irritation would come back instantly, maybe worse than before. There was no need to even try hiding what they were about to do, anyway. Thankfully, Tony seemed apologetic and he said.
“Sorry, I’ll… I’ll just leave you two alone.”
He didn’t wait to turn around and leave, but the little cuss word that escaped Jimmy’s lips was unmissable and it made Jessica smile. As he watched him walk in the elevator, he whispered through greeted teeth.
“At least he never tried flirting with Jess.”
Jessica bit her lower lip to avoid reacting to his words, easily guessing this comment was supposed to be for himself and she was definitely not supposed to hear it. She let it go, stroking his arm, but when he didn’t say anything else, she playfully nudged him, smiling as she seriously said.
“You know that I could never be interested in him, right?”
Jimmy’s smile made her heart race and even if the moment had been ruined, she couldn’t look away from him until he moved to finish putting everything where it belonged and gathered his stuff. When he was almost done, Jessica reiterated.
“I mean it, Jimmy. If you need to come over, you and Vic are always more than welcome. Even if it’s just for a drink or a pizza or anything.”
“You can be sure that I’ll take your word on it.”
After parting ways with Jimmy, Jessica went back home. When she was in the hallway, she was too focused on her phone both confirming to Nick that they were still on for their plans and answering Parker’s questions regarding their last case, that she didn’t notice someone sitting in front of her door and stumbled on their legs.
“Oh my God! Vic, sweetie! Did I hurt you?”
“No, don’t worry.” The teen said as she got up before she smirked and asked in a teasing tone. “Texting with Dad and that got you distracted?”
“Actually, no. More like work related, sorry.” She laughed and hugged her, like they always did to greet each other. But was intrigued by her presence here. “Did we have plans today?”
“Hm… No.” The hesitation in the teen’s voice didn’t escape Jessica’s attention, who frowned and waited for her to continue. “I was just hoping I could… Can I stay over tonight?”
That was only then that Jessica noticed Victoria’s bag on the floor and she slowly nodded in understanding. It looked like today was her day to fly to the rescue of her favorite family. And considering she had just reached her apartment, she knew there was no chance Jimmy had had the time to talk to his daughter about his conversation with Jessica.
“I mean.. Unless it’s a problem or you have better things to do.”
“No. No, it’s not. You know I always have time for you, sweetie.”
Victoria smiled and thanked her as Jessica let her in. She didn’t need to ask to know what she was carrying in her bag and she smiled, flattered that the teen considered her apartment as some sort of safe place and came here to seek asylum. Jessica didn’t need to ask why she was here. This last week, Victoria had texted her a few times, complaining about Tony’s presence lasting more than “just a few days” as he had put it when he had first showed up. And after her conversation with Jimmy, she had absolutely no doubts.
Jessica engaged the conversation in school and it allowed her to catch up on some gossip about her friends, which she always loved hearing about. Until she abruptly asked.
“Wait. Does Jimmy know you’re here?”
“No… But I’m sure he’ll guess it. I’ve already mentioned I planned on coming here.”
“I’ll call him.”
Jessica said, hiding her smile at Victoria’s words and she got up to take her phone. She had barely had time to look for Jimmy’s name when they heard some knocks at her door and the teen asked, not hiding her surprise.
“He’s already here?!”
“Hey, you’re ready?” Nick asked the moment Jessica opened the door and it only took him a second to notice Victoria and he asked with a smile. “Oh! It looks like we have a guest?”
“Uncle Nick!” Victoria exclaimed, grinning and she came to greet him before turning around to say to Jess. “See? This is my favorite uncle!”
Jessica chuckled lightly as she exchanged a glance with Nick, who was both flattered - and didn’t hide the smugness on his face - by the teen’s words and a little confused as well. Before he could ask her what she meant, she looked at the two adults, explaining.
“One evening, that guy showed up at our door, telling me that my favorite was here.” She rolled her eyes and added. “Uncle Nick is my favorite uncle. Not that old man I’ve only seen once or twice before.”
Despite trying not to, both Jessica and Nick laughed at what Victoria was saying, both perfectly picturing the scene.
“He’s one of your Dad’s friends.”
Jessica said softly, not the biggest fan of that man either, but trying not to show it too much to the teen. Victoria frowned as she asked with a smile.
“So does that mean you like every one of your Dad’s friends?” When Jessica shook her head as an answer, the teen continued. “And he’s so full of himself! It’s so annoying. If I believed what he says, he’s the best NCIS Agent. Like, please. We all know that if someone’s the best, it’s Jess.”
At this, Jessica was definitely unable to hold back a chuckle and looked up at Nick right away, but he beat her to it and said before she could even open her mouth to speak.
“Shut up.”
“You, Uncle Tim and Parker are awesome too, Uncle Nick, don’t worry. You’re just not…”
“Jess, I know.”
Nick said with a grin, amused but understood what she meant. He was not a woman, Victoria therefore identified less with him than with Jess… and he had also not been “almost living” with her and Jimmy for two years.
“He sounds so mean as well when he talks about Uncle Tim. Like I think he’s trying to be funny? But he sounds so much more like a bully than anything else.”
“They are good friends. But you know, Jess and I, we never actually whiteness this so, let’s not assume things.”
Glancing at each other again, Jessica and Nick silently agreed to let the teen rent about Tony as long as she needed, knowing she needed it. When she was done, she looked between the two of them only now realizing that Jess and Nick probably had plans together that evening and she chose to tease them about it.
“Am I interrupting a date night?”
“Ugh! Oh my God, no, Vic!”
Jessica exclaimed instantly and elbowed Nick when he answered, even if it was in a joking tone. “Maybe.”
“No, we were supposed to go to a sparring session, but we can do that any another time.”
Jessica explained with a smile and got distracted by her phone vibrating in her hands. It reminded her that she had been about to call Jimmy to let him know that his daughter was there, safe and sound. He picked up almost instantly and, guessing who she was calling, Nick said, in the background, enjoying taunting both Jessica and Jimmy at the same time.
“Tell him to come pick up his daughter. It’s date night today.”
“Nick, stop that!”
She said, laughing and elbowing him again, grinning when he pretended she had hurt him. The silence coming from Jimmy made her bite her lower lip in amusement. She would never get why he would assume that anything more than friendship was going on between her and Torres.
She took a few steps away from Nick and Victoria, as if that gave her a bit more privacy to explain the reason she was calling him in the first place. After glancing at the two of them, who were not subtly pretending that they weren’t listening in, she asked Jimmy.
“Do you want to join us?”
“I don’t want to interrupt your date.”
From her tone, Jessica could tell that he was only half joking and that made her smile. His jealousy was cute, even if it was crazy. She unconsciously took one of her curls between her fingers and started twirling it as she softly said.
“Jimmy. You know there’s nothing going on between Torres and I. Nothing more than usual.”
“Don’t worry, I’m not stealing your girl!”
Nick said a bit louder, making sure his voice carried through her phone after walking back to Jessica when he heard her. Softly, she hit him to make him stop talking, pushing him away and walked farther away as she explained to Jimmy.
“Our “date” was a sparring session, like every Friday. Don’t listen to him.”
“Yeah, I know.”
Jimmy admitted in a whisper a few seconds later. A silence settled between them, not uncomfortable, but just the two of them not sure what to say. Eventually, Jessica offered.
“We turned it into dinner with Vic. Come over, please?” She asked with a hint of hesitation in her voice before she added. “Alone.” She insisted on that word, the meaning clear: do not bring Tony.
“I’m on my way.”
It wasn’t long before Jessica’s doorbell rang again and she was not surprised to see Jimmy when she opened up. She broadly smiled and let him in, noticing his bag as he walked in. It looked like father and daughter were really in sync that evening. She didn’t comment on it and he left it on the rack and followed her inside. Victoria hugged him, smiling and they decided on ordering food and they had a nice evening all together.
The moment Jimmy and Jessica went into the kitchen to do the dishes, Nick and Victoria settled on the couch to play one of the video games Jessica had bought just for the teen when she would stay at her place. She glanced in their direction, before looking at Jimmy when he talked.
"I was about to call you when you did."
"So that's why you answered that quickly."
"I always do for you."
She smiled as their eyes locked, nodding because he was right. She has never had to wait too long before he picked up... or call back if he couldn't pick up right away. When they were almost done, she asked more seriously.
"Are you feeling better after that evening?"
"So much better, yes. And thank you for that."
All she did was shrug, because she hadn't done much. And because spending time with both Victoria and Jimmy would never feel like a chore to her. Quite the contrary. Jessica put her hand on his arm, looking at him as she asked, vaguely gesturing towards her rack where his bag was.
“Didn’t feel like staying home tonight?”
The first and only answer she got was a grunt of frustration that made her smile. She bit her lower lip, forcing herself not to say anything, patiently waiting for Jimmy to say whatever was on his mind.
“I almost fell on his shoes when I got home. Only to find one of his mugs in the sink. Can you believe it?”
She silently shook her head, just a bit amused, because she knew how Jimmy was about his house being cleaned. She was not sure what to say right now but Jimmy didn’t give her a real opportunity to do so, whispering.
“There is always something dirty in the sink. Always. A mug. A plate. A glass. As if he doesn’t know how to do the dishes. And don’t get me started on his clothes.” He said and she smiled when he didn’t need her to say anything to get started on that topic anyway. “You’ll have some pants hanging on one of my hangers at the top of a door to dry out, a jacket in some unexpected places. His very, very scented products are everywhere in the bathroom. It’s like Vic and I have been invaded by him.”
Jessica watched him with a little smile, and squeezed his shoulder before their eyes met. He smiled back at her and it was enough for her to understand that he was actually feeling better for letting all of this out.
“Good thing is, you don’t have to worry about all of that tonight.”
“I really appreciate it. Thanks, Jess.”
Before he thought about it, he leaned in and pressed the softest kiss on her cheek. Jessica instantly felt her heart miss several beats before it raced and she closed her eyes. It was like she had been put under a spell, missing Jimmy’s contact the second he realized what he was doing and stepped away. Thankfully, before there could be any awkwardness settling between them, Victoria’s voice, asking them to come witness her beating Nick, reached them and they moved in unison to join them in the living room.
They took turns playing and it was no surprise that Nick and Victoria easily won against Jimmy and Jessica. They had fun together until it eventually got late and Nick left to go back home. When she walked back in her living room, she smiled at the two of them and said with a grin.
“I guess you two Palmers are staying over tonight?”
“Only if you’re okay with it.”
Victoria answered as Jessica felt both of their eyes on her and she chuckled, slightly rolling her eyes. As if she could ever say no to them. But she turned to Jimmy, pretending to think for a second before speaking again.
“It depends. Will you cook breakfast in the morning?”
“If you want me to, yes.”
“Then, I guess I can happily provide asylum for the two of you in exchange for some home made waffles.”
The Palmers’ laugh was the best answer she could have received. Jessica got up as Victoria and Jimmy talked about sleeping arrangements. Hearing the two of them refer to her guest’s room as “Victoria’s bedroom” would always touch her and she would probably never get used to it. She bit her lower lip, meeting Jimmy’s eyes when she heard his argument for staying on the couch that night.
“This is your room. I can spend a night on a couch. Especially this one. I know how comfy it is.”
He didn’t miss this opportunity to lock eyes with Jessica and she instantly felt some heat in her cheeks, guessing they probably turned pink at his innuendo. They have done more than just relax on that couch and it was so obvious that was precisely what Jimmy was referring to. The second she recovered from his teasing, she said with a smile, changing the topic.
“Now, I feel bad for not having another bed to offer you, Palmers.”
“No, don’t, Jess! It’s so nice of you to welcome us in the first place.”
“You guys are always welcome here, and you know it.”
Jessica honestly whispered as Victoria came to hug her again. She smiled, enjoying this moment. Not long after that, Victoria went to bed, after kissing her Dad good night and Jessica followed her with her eyes in amusement. She had already noticed it when she had let her in, but the size of her bag told her that the teen wasn’t planning on staying only one night. She was surely already picturing herself staying the whole weekend or as long as Tony would invade her personal space at home. Not that it bothered Jessica.
When Jimmy got up to go pick up a blanket, Jessica went to her room to change, after wishing him in a hesitant voice a good night. She was careful not to put on one of Jimmy’s shirts she still secretly had in her closet. In front of her door, Jessica hesitated. She put her hand on the handle, took it away, and repeated that movement twice before finally deciding to come out of her room. She walked back into the living room, sitting at Jimmy’s feet on the couch and looked at him as she stammered because she was feeling the weirdness of what she was about to say.
“You don’t have to stay on the couch tonight, Jimmy.”
“You want me to sleep on the floor?”
He asked, a grin on his face, clearly noticing that she was currently nervous and deciding on lightening the mood. It worked. She chuckled and ran her fingers through her hair.
“No, of course not. It’s just that… my bed is big enough for the two of us… You obviously know that already… We’re both… We’re both adults, we can share a bed, right? I mean… It’s only awkward if we make it awkward, right? Well, unless it’s a problem for you but at least you know that’s an option.”
She realized she was stupidly rambling just because he was her ex-boyfriend and that she was still so obviously in love with him and that she was currently making it awkward when she was pretty sure he shared those feelings with her.
“You often invite people who stay the night in your bed?”
Jimmy teased with a grin, knowing she needed it and he was glad when it worked and she laughed, despite her cheeks getting a bit more pink than usual.
“Mh… probably just Nick?”
She answered in the same tone after a second, just for the pleasure of teasing Jimmy back and she was amused by the look on his face. But honesty quickly replaced the teasing and she more seriously whispered.
“I’m pretty sure you’re the only one.”
Her words were barely audible, as if she was afraid to admit it out loud but from the smile that spread on Jimmy’s lips, Jessica knew he had heard her.
“And yes, I’d like that.”
Jimmy said, eventually accepting her option to share her bed. Their eyes intensely locked after she nodded. The way her eyes drifted to his lips didn’t escape his attention and he smiled. She bit her lower lip, the temptation really high but Jessica managed to resist it. She had no idea how, but she did and got up to move back to her room.
She laid on her side of the bed with a strange feeling in her stomach and looked at Jimmy when he walked into the bedroom. Her breath caught in her throat as they held each other’s gaze. Jimmy settled next to her, on his back as well, and they, again, glanced at each other, none of them sure of what to say, both of them making sure they didn’t touch the other.
“Good night, Jess.”
Jimmy eventually whispered, breaking the uneasy silence and she whispered those same words back to him. She tried controlling the heartbeat of her heart, hoping Jimmy wouldn’t notice, when he brushed her arm when he pulled the blanket over them. Despite the silence being a bit uncomfortable, the atmosphere was not.
Jessica ultimately turned on her stomach, her back to Jimmy, slipping her hand under her pillow, her leg bent just a little. Her back was facing him, not because she didn’t want to be close to him, but because she knew that if she didn’t, she would never be able to resist temptation and end up snuggling and surely made this moment so uncomfortable for both of them. Even if this whole situation was awkward and even if she could so easily feel Jimmy staying perfectly still to make sure they didn’t touch, Jessica felt her body relax bit by bit. Surrounded by Jimmy’s scent and his presence so close that always brought her so much comfort, it didn’t take long for Jessica to fall asleep.
A few hours later, she woke up. Even with her foggy state, she realized that something was different to every other night. Jimmy. That’s what was different. He was there, in her bed, so close. When she opened her eyes, she noticed the light of the almost full night coming in through the blinds, and her breath caught in her throat the moment she realized that Jimmy was now spooning her.
Instead of allowing the turmoil of her feelings for Jimmy to explode with him holding her like that, Jessica relaxed in his embrace. She closed her eyes, secretly enjoying this moment. Ever since Jimmy had hugged her after Parker’s Dad murder, she had missed his touch and the comfort he always brought. Even more than before.
Half asleep in Jimmy’s arms, Jessica started thinking about the last few days and that, at least, Tony’s visit had something positive about it. At least, for her, right now. Without it, she would not be where she was at that moment. But thinking about that, brought back Jimmy’s words from earlier about Tony invading his personal space at home, with his products or perfume being everywhere, his snores waking Jimmy up every night and how he didn’t feel at home anymore in his own house. It made her mind run a little wild and she started questioning herself.
But Jimmy carefully and as discreetly as possible pulling his arm away from her waist caught her attention back right away. She shouldn’t be surprised Jimmy would unconsciously feel she was awake, even less that he would try moving away to avoid making things between them weird.
“Don’t.” Jessica whispered as she quickly moved her hand, to catch his and stop his movement, not ready to lose his touch and his proximity. “I’m awake.”
She added, not bothering to pretend she didn’t want this. She smiled when he got startled by her voice and her heart fluttered when he held her just a little tighter in response, despite stuttering when he tried to apologize for not being able to keep his distance in his sleep.
“Sorry… I’m just… I’m…”
“I don’t mind, Jimmy.”
Jessica cut his apology with a little smile, absently stroking his arm with her thumb. As if she needed to prove it, she pressed her back a little more against him as she relaxed again.
“Then, what’s wrong? What’s on your mind?”
Jessica smiled at the softness in his voice, not surprised he would pick up on her having something bothering her anyway. She ultimately turned around in his arms to look at him thanks to the light of the moon, allowing her to lock eyes with him. Easily picking up on her hesitation, Jimmy softly stroked her shoulder, encouraging her to tell him whatever was on her mind.
“What you said about Ton always being there at home and at work, invading your personal space, his clothes mixed to yours and Vic’s, his scent all over your place and everything else that bothers you…”
She started in a whisper, her eyes bored into his and she absently paused, still hesitating a bit before continuing. They never officially lived together but she still has had her own shelf and her drawer in his closet, her own drawer in his bathroom and Jessica was conscious that she snored, no matter how much she tried denying it. She couldn’t help but think that she was no different from Tony, inserting herself in Jimmy and Victoria’s lives. When she paused a bit longer than anticipated, Jimmy brushed a curl away from her face in such a gentle movement, it made her melt under his fingers. She bashfully asked.
“Did you feel the same about me? I mean, being there at home with you and Vic.”
“Oh my God, Jess! No!”
Jimmy exclaimed, louder than he intended to but there was no way he was letting her think that. With a quiet chuckle, she put her finger on his lips to shush him, not wanting to risk Victoria hearing them or realizing that her Dad was currently in Jessica’s bed.
“Shhh!”
“Sorry. No, Jess. I was always happy you were home with us. We were always happy about it. I could have lived like that forever.”
His words touched her so much that she felt the corner of her eyes burn with tears before they became damp. In a way, it hurt to hear Jimmy say those words considering how things ended between them, when this was all she had ever wanted. Jessica felt Jimmy’s hands move up to her cheek, grazing it and probably wiping a tear away as he softly asked.
“Why haven’t you ever said anything about this before?”
“Because I never thought about all of this before I heard you and Vic complain about Tony.”
“Just so you know, neither Vic or me ever had any problem with you living with us.”
Jimmy whispered again, and he was glad to see the smile return to her face. He should be moving his hand away from her. Instead, his thumb was still lightly rubbing her cheek, his eyes drifting to her lips, and he would have given in to temptation if she hadn’t said in a murmur.
“I loved it whenever I was with you two.”
“We loved it too. We still do. We love you.”
This was probably the last way she had ever imagined Jimmy saying those words to her again. The shock she felt at hearing him say this showed on her face, and she didn’t try hiding it, knowing it was useless, gasping as soon as she found her voice back.
“You do?!”
Jimmy had not realized what he had just implied but it was his turn to shush her when her exclamation of surprise was louder than necessary. He nervously chuckled, his fingers on her lips, when it clicked what he had just told her. She was now watching him with a questioning look and he silently confirmed it with a nod.
“Why did you wait that long to say it?”
Jessica asked when he stayed silent. She was still shocked Jimmy had finally admitted his feelings to her, and she was trying to control her heartbeat as it frantically raced in her chest. She was pretty sure Jimmy could hear it.
“It never felt like it was the right time before.”
Jessica was not sure what to say to that admission. She understood him. It made sense to her as well. She was still looking into his eyes and it was as if she suddenly realized she was in Jimmy’s arms - and it felt so good, even more when his fingers gently lingered on her shoulder, stroking it. Her heart was already racing, but it completely melted when he spoke again.
“I love you, Jess.”
She was filled with emotions the second those words left Jimmy’s lips. Speechless, the only answer she could give in the moment was to nod and simply turn her head to drop a soft kiss on his wrist. Their eyes locked again and they both stopped fighting the temptation, leaning in, Jimmy meeting her halfway. Their lips met, hesitantly, tentatively, as if, despite their obvious feelings, they were still not sure that this was what the other wanted. But this feeling vanished pretty quickly, that kiss becoming more deep and saying more than any words could ever do.
Ever since they almost kissed in autopsy earlier that day, she had known that if one of them succumbed to that urge, there was no way one kiss would be enough to make up for the lack of it of the past two years. Her fear of seeming too clingy dissipated the moment Jimmy captured her lips for another intoxicating kiss, that left her breathless but it didn’t stop her from kissing him again and again after catching her breath.
That lasted for a while, and even with the faint light of the moon, he could tell that her lips were swollen from that much kissing and that made them even more tempting. He kissed her again, slower this time until Jessica whispered.
“Maybe we should go back to sleep.”
“Yeah, that sounds like a good idea.”
He answered with a discreet chuckle before she rested her head on his chest, and he held her tighter, pressing a soft kiss in her hair. She closed her eyes and he thought she had dozed off, but she surprised him by playfully adding.
“Yeah, you still have waffles to cook tomorrow morning. I didn’t forget.”