Chapter Text
Jordan is at the foot of the bed rapidly hauling clothes into a suitcase when Leah regains consciousness. The light from the window is so bright that Leah grumbles and pulls the duvet over her face. Just as her body relaxes to fall asleep again, she suddenly realises what Jordan is doing. She tears the duvet back from her face and watches on, frozen to the spot. Why is Jordan packing her bags so early in the morning? Why is Jordan packing her bags at all? And with such urgency, Leah thinks as she watches the small blond grabbing and carelessly tossing articles of clothing into her huge suitcase. Her head hurts. The familiar heavy ache of a hangover. But she didn’t drink last night. The events of last night suddenly come rushing back to her. Is this why Jordan is packing? Had she said something? Done something?
“Jordan, what are you doing?” Leah asks quietly, half afraid to know the answer.
“Packing.” Jordan says hurriedly without looking up.
I can see that, Leah thinks to herself. Jordan’s bluntness and failure to look up to her makes her feel uneasy. “Why?” she asks aloud.
She almost feels like this is a dream. She has had dreams of Jordan leaving her like this before; but she normally wakes up and all is well. Not today though, the monotonous ticking of the bedside clock confirms the reality.
“It was meant to be a nice surprise,” Jordan mutters, her tone hinting annoyance.
Leah can’t tell if this is directed towards her or whether this is something else. When Leah doesn’t say anything, Jordan finally looks up with a small smile. A smile that Leah knows is genuine. Every muscle in her body, previously tense, suddenly ease up.
“A surprise? What surprise?” Leah asks suspiciously.
Jordan has never been one to organise surprises. A, she knows that Leah hates surprises. And B, Jordan is so bad at keeping things a secret that it’s near impossible for her to not to spoil a surprise.
“We’re going away for a few days,” Jordan smiles.
We is the first thing that Leah picks up from that sentence. Both of them, not just Jordan. And going away? They haven’t been on holiday together in years. Her stomach swirls with anticipation.
“We’re going away?” she laughs.
“Yeah,” Jordan says as Leah continues laughing at her. “Why are you laughing?” she frowns.
“You’ve organised a surprise holiday for us?” Leah laughs again.
Jordan is the most unorganised person she knows; she’s mostly laughing from disbelief. Disbelief that Jordan has organised something all by herself; disbelief from the fact that just 5 minutes ago, she’d thought Jordan was packing to leave her. She scooches further down the bed so that she sits facing Jordan.
“Yes… that’s what I just said” Jordan says with an annoyed frown on her face.
“Where?” Leah smirks, playfully prodding Jordan’s leg with her foot.
“I’m not telling you.”
“That’s not fair,” Leah whines, prodding Jordan again.
It’s Jordan’s turn to laugh now. “That’s the whole point of a surprise,” she says, rolling her eyes.
Usually it would be easy for Leah to get information out of Jordan, but to her surprise Jordan is resisting better than she expected. Jordan is now trying to zip up her overflowing suitcase by sitting on it.
“Bloody hell Jords, how long are we going away for? You’ve got enough stuff for a couple of weeks in there,” Leah laughs.
Jordan scowls at her, “It’s not that much. Way less than you normally pack”
“True,” Leah says. She is a notorious overpacker. Always taking things that she might need, even though she never ends up wearing or using them. “You know, I’m surprised you are up and functioning actually,” Leah says.
“Huh?” Jordan says. She is now sitting on her suitcase trying to get the zip to close.
“With the amount you had to drink last night, didn’t expect you to be up till way later”
“I didn’t have that much,” Jordan exclaims.
Leah laughs out loud. She’s barely had time to register what happened last night, but the last thing she wants is to ruin the day by diving into how she was feeling. She lingers on the thought only momentarily, not wanting to ruin her excitement for what the day (or days) have to hold. She focuses instead on Jordan in front of her, right now; the way her face is lit up from the morning light flowing through the window. She really is beautiful. She’s always found Jordan especially beautiful in the morning. The edges of her face still soft from sleep, her golden hair falling in natural waves at her neck, her lips fresh and swollen…
“Come on sleepyhead, you need to start packing,” Jordan huffs, stepping back from the suitcase that she has finally managed to zip up.
“Right,” Leah says, mechanically getting up from the bed. Her mind suddenly refocuses and she realises, “Jordan, I haven't got any of my stuff,” she says slowly. She’d completely forgotten that she doesn’t permanently live here anymore and that all of her clothes are back at her own (albeit unhomely) apartment.
Jordan pauses, “Oh yeah,” she mutters.
“Have I got time to go back to mine and grab some things or are we on a tight schedule?” Leah chuckles.
Jordan scowls at her momentarily before her face lights up, “Oh, I know!”
“What?”
Jordan signals to the bottom drawer of her wardrobe, “Look in here,” she grins.
“Okay..” Leah replies, confused.
Jordan starts howling with laughter when Leah walks past her.
“Why are you laughing!” Leah frowns. The eruption of laughter had been so sudden that it made her jump.
“Your t-shirt,” Jordan giggles.
Leah looks down at the blank white shirt and frowns, “What’s wrong with it?”
“The back, look,” Jordan giggles, directing Leah towards the mirror.
‘Little Miss Forgetful’ flashes back at Leah as she turns to see herself. Her eyes meet Jordan and they both burst out laughing. When she’d pulled it on before bed last night, she hadn’t acknowledged the design on the front.
“Who even got you this? It’s you to a tee,” Leah laughs, “No pun intended.” she adds.
“That was terrible,” Jordan rolls her eyes, “Was a Secret Santa present from Beth a couple years ago”
“Ah, very fitting,” Leah chuckles.
“I don’t know why she got it 5 sizes too big. Looks like a dress on me,” Jordan says, shaking her head.
“She killed two birds with one stone there. Little Miss Small and Forgetful in one present,” Leah teases.
“Not funny,” Jordan says, glaring at Leah. “Do you want this holiday or not?”
“Well, I don’t even know where we’re going yet,” Leah pouts.
“Baby, that’s the whole point of a surprise”, Jordan says, shoving Leah playfully.
Leah rolls her eyes. “What’s in this drawer then?” she asks, her attention turning towards the mystery.
Jordan doesn’t say anything and steps out of the way to let Leah get past; she has a smirk plastered on her face as Leah looks at her suspiciously and bends down to open the drawer. She is shocked when she opens it and finds it full of her own clothes. Clothes that she’d left at Jordan’s after the breakup. Her clothes that Jordan had kept.
“Oh”, Leah says in surprise, “You kept them?”
“Yeah, of course”, Jordan says quietly. Leah is facing away from her but she can tell from Jordan’s tone that she is nervous.
“Why?” Leah asks. It’s a stupid question but it’s the first thing that pops into her head. She rummages through the various articles of clothing. In all honesty she’d forgotten about most of them. It’s only now that she’s seeing them that she remembers she’d left them here.
“I don’t know. I guess I didn’t wanna get rid of them”, Jordan says, scratching her head.
Leah has so many questions. Had Jordan taken them out and worn them since they’d broken up? Why did she keep them? Why didn’t she just give them back or throw them away?
“I guess having them here made me feel like a part of you was still here. That you hadn’t really left. That you would come back to get them…”, Jordan continues, trailing off.
It’s not a response that she had been expecting. She had been expecting Jordan to brush it off and make some excuse. But the genuineness of her response makes Leah’s heart swell. She feels slightly bad that she’d forgotten that she’d even left these here; feels bad that Jordan had been waiting, no, hoping for her to show up and get them. Maybe if she’d come back, things would be different now.
There are so many things she wants to say but “Oh,” is all she manages. “Thanks baby”, she adds. She stands and kisses Jordan softly.
“Is it weird that I kept them?” Jordan asks, pulling away to analyse Leah’s face.
“No, of course not,” Leah says gently. It’s not weird at all, it had been their apartment after all. Leah knows she would have done the same. “I love you,” Leah adds. Of course she means it, but it’s mostly for the extra layer of reassurance. It works because Jordan’s face relaxes.
“I love you too,” Jordan smiles, wrapping her arms around Leah’s waist.
“Be honest, did you wear any of them? I know you’ve always been jealous of my style,” Leah teases, her breath tickling the top of Jordan’s head.
“Very funny,” Jordan tuts, “Your jeans would pool around my ankles anyway”
“True,” Leah laughs, kissing Jordan again.
Jordan squeezes Leah’s waist tighter as the kiss deepens. Jordan signs under Leah’s lips and Leah allows herself to relax. It’s almost hard to believe that she had been crying her eyes out in this same room, only last night. She suddenly wonders how last night even happened when everything Jordan has done today has been so thoughtful.
“Baby, we kind of need to get a move on,” Jordan laughs into Leah’s mouth.
“Good job you kept my clothes then, hey?” Leah laughs, earning her a Jordan scowl.
***
“Have you got everything?” Jordan yells from the driveway.
“Yeah!” Leah shouts back.
She is now scurrying around the house making sure that all the windows are shut and that they haven't forgotten anything. They’ve definitely forgotten something. No matter how far in advance you know you’re going away, no matter how thorough you are with your packing, something is always forgotten. Considering that Leah has packed in a matter of minutes, there’s bound to be a whole hoard of things missing. Leah grabs her coat and scans the house one last time before locking up. Jordan is already sitting in the driver’s seat by the time Leah gets outside. Leah would normally drive but since she has no idea where they’re going, she obediently slides into the passenger’s seat.
***
Leah spots Jordan rubbing her eyes when they’ve been driving for about an hour.
“Do you want me to take over?” she asks.
“No,” Jordan smiles. “You don’t even know where we’re going”, she laughs.
Jordan still hasn’t given away any clues about their destination. All Leah knows is that they’re heading somewhere up North. Jordan didn’t even tell her that, she’d inevitably worked it out by the road signs and direction they’re driving in.
“True. But if you’re tired, I’ll drive,” Leah says. “You must be hanging from last night”
“I’m really not that bad Leah, I’m fine” Jordan laughs.
“Right,” Leah scoffs, dragging out the t and raising her eyebrow.
“Was I really that bad?” Jordan chuckles.
Yes, Leah thinks. She can’t tell if Jordan is playing off her hangover or if she’s genuinely okay. All she knows is that it would take her at least 3 days to recover if she’d been in that state. But then, Leah and Jordan are different. She’d realised that last night. It’s hard to believe that they have had minimal conversation about last night. Leah had expected to wake up and have an elaborate talk with Jordan, but the morning has been so hectic that she hasn’t had time to properly think. She’s almost grateful for it. Grateful that she hasn’t had the chance to dwell on her feelings from last night. A part of her feels guilty for not telling Jordan. She feels like it’s unfair for her to withhold how she’s really feeling when she’d promised herself that this time she would be open. Jordan has given her another chance; she doesn’t want past mistakes to hinder their relationship again. But she doesn’t want to ruin the surprise that Jordan has arranged. She’d imagined waking up in the morning and talking to Jordan about it whilst they cuddled up in bed together. That’s what she’d imagined. She doesn’t know if she would have even gone through with it but she’ll never find out now. The moment had never happened and now it feels too late. She feels like she’s over it too. In that moment, every emotion had come crashing down, but it’s a new day. She feels like a different person today. She feels stupid even thinking about how she was feeling last night. Everything she was feeling seems insignificant now as she glances at Jordan who is cheerfully tapping the steering wheel beside her.
“No comment”, Leah says finally, deciding to keep her explanation minimal. It is a conversation for another time, she thinks.
***
Jordan pulls into services about an hour later after Leah catches her rubbing her eyes again and insists that they take a break.
“Are we nearly there?” Leah asks as they get out of the car. There’s a purposeful whine in her tone because she knows it will annoy Jordan.
Just as she thought, Jordan rolls her eyes. “No. But nearly half way I’d say”
“Only half way?!” Leah shrieks dramatically. “Jords, we’ve already been driving for two hours!”
“You’re honestly worse than a child”, Jordan laughs. “It’ll be worth it I promise,” she says, leaning up to kiss Leah’s bottom lip which is stuck out stubbornly.
They scoff down their McDonald’s and squabble about who’s driving the rest of the way all the way back to the car. After much persuasion from Jordan, Leah reluctantly agrees that she’ll drive them home instead.
“Ha”, Jordan exclaims triumphantly, dangling her car keys in front of Leah’s face for extra emphasis.
Leah scowls at her and grunts as she makes her way back into the passenger's seat. They’re both as stubborn as each other, but Leah hates losing more.
The car breezes smoothly up the motorway, and Leah smiles, grateful for the lack of congestion. It’s peaceful. Jordan hums contently beside her, tapping the steering wheel and occasionally flashing a bright smile at Leah. Leah’s eyes fixate ahead as the car swallows up mile after mile of road. The road sways before her as her pupils droop.
***
“Baby wake up,” Jordan’s voice echoes in the distance.
At first Leah thinks she’s dreaming until Jordan starts shaking her gently and her eyes shift back into consciousness.
“Wha-? What’s happened?”, Leah says, suddenly panicking when she realises that the car is stationary.
“Nothing’s happened,” Jordan laughs. “We’re here,” she grins.
Leah rubs her eyes and looks around. Their surroundings are quiet, a peaceful quiet that she’s not used to, and the car is parked on a rickety stone driveway. There is so much green around them. Trees, bushes, hedges, plants. Pretty little flowers line both sides of the driveway. Up ahead, she can see a lopsided chimney peeking above the trees. She feels like she’s just woken up in some sort of fantasy world; she rubs her eyes again and the green flashes back, more vividly than before. She realises where they are.
“The Lakes?” Leah asks quietly.
She is 99% sure that that is where they are. She’s only mentioned The Lake District to Jordan a few times and Jordan had insisted that they go someday but she hadn’t realised that Jordan had actually wanted to go. But she’d remembered, and surprised Leah. It’s the most thoughtful thing someone has ever done for her; her body is warm, like a fire has been lit within, the comforting warmth wrapping around her heart.
“Yeah,” Jordan grins. “Come on,” she says, nudging Leah’s arm. “I wanna explore”
“Okay,” Leah manages. Her voice wobbles; a mixture of shock, disbelief and intense sentiment.
It’s cold when she steps outside. The air feels crisp, a complete contrast to the polluted air that they’d left in London. Leah breathes in the freshness, and it ripples through her body like she is a blade of grass on a summer’s day.The only sounds she can hear around her is nature. The rustling of leaves, the sweet sound of birds chirping. No whooshing of background traffic, just nature. And the sound of Jordan who is huffing and puffing, trying to heave their suitcases out of the boot. Leah had told her that one suitcase would be plenty, seeing as they’d only be away for a few days, but Jordan had insisted that they needed extra layers; now she sees what she meant. It’s cold, but not in a harsh way. It’s a clean kind of cold, comforting. Leah finds that she’s not cold at all, the internal glow of her emotions is keeping her warm.
“Do you like it?”, Jordan says, standing next to Leah once she manages to haul their suitcases out of the car.
“It’s beautiful. It’s perfect”, Leah says with a smile. She’s feeling overwhelmed. It’s like she’s in paradise.
“Come on. Let’s check out the inside”, Jordan grins. She picks up the suitcases with a struggle.
“I’ll take those Jords”, Leah laughs. She lifts the luggage as they begin walking up the path.
The cottage is quaint, topped with a traditional thatched roof. It’s gorgeous. Leah has driven past houses like this, dreaming that one day she could live somewhere like this, away from the hustle and bustle of London. She loves London of course, it’s where her life is, but she’s always dreamt to have a place she could escape to. The fact that Jordan has managed to encapsulate her dreams makes her realise how special she is. She pictures Jordan scrolling on websites for hours on end, looking for the perfect place to stay; she couldn't have picked a better place.
The key is stored beside a side gate in a safe and they figure out the combination easily enough. Ivy snakes up the walls at the front of the house. Leah has always loved ivy. Its poisonous beauty draws her in.
“Home sweet home”, Jordan says as they walk through the door.
The interior is rustic, it’s cosy; it’s open plan. There’s a small kitchen on the left as they enter, just small enough to cater to whatever need you may have when you’re on holiday. A small fire sits in the corner of the room, sidelined by two massive stacks of logs. There is a giant window overlooking the Cumbrian hills and a small lake below them. Leah discards the suitcases by the hallway and walks up to the window. She stands there for a few minutes, taking in the landscape. The trees are reflected perfectly onto the expanse of serene water.
“You aren’t saying much. Do you like it?”, Jordan says nervously. She walks and hugs Leah from behind.
“I love it so much baby”, Leah says. “I’m a bit lost for words”, she laughs. She holds Jordan’s hands tighter as they both overlook the view.
“There were a few options. But this one was my favourite,” Jordan says, pressing a kiss into Leah’s shoulder.
“It’s beautiful,” Leah practically whispers. It’s so peaceful that she’s almost afraid to raise her voice.
“It really is,” Jordan says.
They stand for a few minutes, holding each other tightly, staring at the expanse of nature before them. It’s almost like a painting. A new beautiful detail at each spot they focus their eyes on.
“Come on, let’s check out upstairs. I wanna see if the bed’s bouncy”, Jordan giggles after a while.
“Okay”, Leah smiles, still staring into the distance.
“I’ll race you up”, Jordan laughs.
She swiftly lets go of Leah and starts sprinting in the direction on the stairs. Leah painfully tears her eyes away from the window and chases after her. As much as the view is beautiful, she’s not going to lose a race. Jordan has a head start so she’s already at the top by the time Leah starts clambering up.
“That’s not fair”, Leah huffs as she collapses onto the bed next to Jordan. “You got a head start”
“Snooze you lose”, Jordan giggles, sticking out her tongue.
Jordan props herself up and starts bouncing lightly, increasing the pace when she realises that the bed is springy enough.
“You are such a child”, Leah laughs with a shake of the head.
“It’s sturdy, look”, Jordan giggles.
Jordan continues bouncing and Leah watches, waiting for the bed to collapse beneath them.
“If you break this bed, I’m not paying for it,” Leah laughs. “You’d also have to be the one to explain that you broke it by bouncing on it like a child”
“What if we broke it another way,” Jordan smirks.
She crawls towards Leah and drags her down with her. Their lips crush together, yearning for each other's taste. Jordan fumbles clumsily at Leah’s jumper, her hands reaching under and tracing the curve of Leah’s breasts. At the contact, Leah lets out a suppressed moan.
“God, you really wanna test this bed out huh”, Jordan whispers, her voice low.
“Your hands are cold actually,” Leah grumbles. Which is true, they are freezing in contrast to her own skin. But she’s also been craving Jordan’s touch.
“Hmm,” Jordan mumbles.
She unclasps Leah’s bra and reaches underneath so that her hands are now touching the skin directly. She runs her fingers along Leah’s firm nipples and Leah lets out another moan.
“Needy,” Jordan chuckles.
Jordan’s hands are so cold but Leah’s skin blazes with increasing heat as Jordan continues to twist her nipples. The bed is so comfy that she could stay here all day, unravelling under Jordan’s touch.
“Wait. Wait.” Leah pants.
Jordan looks up at her confused, “Did I do something?”
“No, no,” Leah smiles, “I just think we should do some exploring first, otherwise we’ll be here all day,” she chuckles.
“Are you sure?” Jordan raises her eyebrow, “I could make you finish in a matter of minutes,” she smirks.
Fuck, Leah thinks. A surge of heat rushes between her legs. Her feelings for Jordan are dangerous when she starts talking like that. But she’s committed to denying the pleasure for now, she can’t fall back on it.
“Yes, I’m sure,” Leah smiles sweetly, kissing Jordan before leaping up from the bed and adjusting her clothing. The way Jordan is looking at her makes her want to jump straight back onto the bed but she resists. It will be worth it later.