Work Text:
Cole hummed as he worked.
Jay had noticed it a hundred times over.
He hummed when he made popcorn, he hummed when he was deeply focused on training, he hummed when he cleaned his scythe. It was almost involuntary. The second Cole would realise the entire room was quiet, he would stop.
Jay had dedicated every waking moment to hearing the humming again.
And right now, he was hearing it. Cole was making popcorn, in the kitchen and noticeably, very far away from Jay.
“Cole,” he whined again, tipping his head back against the sofa’s backrest to stare at the hallway. He could just see the light of the open kitchen door, albeit upside down.
“Yes, Bluebell,” Cole said, sounding a bit tired. Jay grinned. “Just, gimme a sec, ‘kay?”
“No,” Jay said stubbornly, straightening up and crossing his arms over his chest, tapping his biceps lightly. “It’s date night! Not boyfriends-stay-in-different-rooms night!”
Jay could hear the silence. Cole was rolling his eyes, wasn’t he. Jay let out a self-satisfied puff of air and opened his phone. They weren’t really going to watch any movie. Sure, Jay had picked out a movie, but Cole had just decided that they’d spent too much of the week away from each other—on missions, during training, sleeping in different rooms—and deemed it absolutely unacceptable. So date night was really just going to dissolve into either mindless kissing night, or mindless cuddling night while the TV became background noise. Jay hadn’t decided which one he liked better yet.
“Okay,” Cole said, his voice nearer. Jay dropped his phone instantly, beaming up at Cole. “I’m here.”
“Yay,” Jay said, pulling Cole down by his bicep. Cole just barely managed to keep the popcorn bowl upright as he collapsed onto the sofa.
“Okay, okay,” Cole laughed as Jay very much refused to let him go.
“What movie were we watching again?” Jay mumbled as he tried to climb closer to Cole, even though it was impossible. Somehow, Cole shifted his arm and Jay was closer to him.
“Bluebell, you’re the one who chose it.”
Jay squinted. “Yeah, just turn the TV on, it should be there.”
Cole hummed—but not the hum Jay wanted—and switched the TV on. They’d managed to kick everyone out of the Monastery for the night. Zane was off at the museum, Kai and Lloyd had gone to the arcade because Kai needed a companion and Nya refused to go, and Nya was staying over at Skylor’s for the entire night.
“Oh, come on,” Cole complained, making Jay’s head on his chest move. “This one?”
Jay giggled. “We can laugh at how bad it is.”
“Jacob’s CGI is awful, Jay, why’d you pick this one?”
“Hey!” Jay said, pushing himself up and off of Cole. “I just said we can make fun of how bad it is, you oaf.”
“Okay,” Cole said reluctantly, pulling Jay back, nice and snug. He let the Twilight intro music start playing with minimal complaints. And then, Jay knew, later, about fifteen minutes in, Cole would get bored and start humming something under his breath. That was why Jay had chosen Twilight.
There was also a reason that Jay had strategically situated himself on this specific spot. So he would be right there, feeling the humming, not just hearing it.
In other words, it was heaven for Jay. Cole had planned it, but Jay had actually chosen the one variable that would shift everything in his favour; the tried and trusted method of simply subjecting Cole through the torture that was Twilight.
“Are you going to be my consolation prize for this movie?” Cole murmured against Jay’s temple.
Jay felt a giddiness fill his body. He grinned. “Maybe,” he said. “If you behave.”
“Oh, I’ll behave,” Cole said, wrapping his arms around Jay’s shoulders and pressing kisses in his hair. “I’m gonna behave so well you’re not gonna have a choice. You’ll just have to reward me.”
Jay hoped the TV glow hid how red his face was as he grinned and swatted Cole’s arm. “We’ll see, big guy.”
Cole laughed. Jay was so much more enamoured by that laugh than whatever braindead thing Bella was doing now.
“I know a lot of people have said this already,” Jay mused, “but—”
“Jacob and Edward should ditch Bella?” Cole asked, tiredly. He’d heard this exact line almost every time they rewatched the horrible movie. Jay took particular joy in seeing Cole’s exhausted expression. “Jay, I know you’re more creative than that.”
Jay just shrugged, placing his hands on Cole’s forearms so that Cole couldn’t move it. “Still gets you every time,” he said gleefully.
Cole shook his head fondly as Jay craned his head to beam up at Cole. He really couldn’t care less about the movie. Sure, it was for quality time and date night, but Jay hadn’t chosen this movie to watch it; he’d chosen this movie to watch Cole. To hear Cole.
All Jay had to do was suffer through fifteen more minutes and then Cole would start humming himself to sleep and Jay would be caged in his arms and perfectly happy where he was.
Besides, he could already feel deep rumbles in Cole’s chest and some mindless tune forming. So he just closed his eyes.
“I love you,” he mumbled, feeling a kiss pressed against his curls.
“I love you more, Bluebell.”
“That’s impossible,” Jay said half heartedly, but he couldn’t care less. Not when his chest was filled with that glowy, giddy feeling that he always got when he realised that Cole was his boyfriend.
“Whatever helps you sleep at night,” Cole said, a hint of amusement in his voice.
“Oh, but that’s you.”