Work Text:
Nat’s alarm is blaring, but she doesn’t give a shit. She doesn’t even bother opening her eyes, instead curling closer to the warm body beside her. A gentle laugh escapes the woman beside her, as her partner wiggles around and shuts off the alarm.
Blissful silence again. Nat feels sleep grabbing onto her when soft fingers begin to trail up and down her spine. She shivers, burrowing into Jackie’s collarbone.
“You have to get up, Nat,” Jackie rasps.
Nat’s eyes are still stubbornly shut, “No.”
Jackie laughs again, Nat’s favorite noise, as the touch stops. Only a few seconds pass before a hand brushes strands of hair behind her ear. Nat noses her collarbone again, and a kiss is placed on her temple.
“You have to shower or you’re going to be grumpy all day,” Jackie murmurs.
“Not grumpy,” Nat snarks.
“Uh huh, I totally believe you,” the amusement in Jackie’s voice is clear.
Nat makes a disgruntled noise, and Jackie places another kiss on her head. She just feels so warm and so comfortable, why would she get up? Jackie shifts a little bit and Nat whines.
“You big baby,” Jackie laughs at her, “I’m going to start breakfast.”
“Stay,” Nat says, “just for a few more minutes.”
Jackie doesn’t hesitate, “Alright.”
Hands keep roaming, featherlight touches along the back of her neck and the top of her spine. Nat keeps her head on Jackie’s collar, pressing a kiss to the hollow of her neck. She’s still tired, they stayed up too late the night before, but she reluctantly opens her eyes. From her position, she can trace Jackie’s few tattoos with her eyes, a sparrow on her shoulder, and a lightning bolt by her bicep. Stupid, little things she got when they were kids, fresh out of Wiskayok and looking for a way to feel like they were adults.
Nat loves them. Loves her. Loves everything about Jackie Taylor, and if you told 14-year-old Nat that, she’d laugh her ass off. But they work, in every possible way, and she’s never been happier than she is here, in Philly living with the love of her life.
“Stop ogling me,” Jackie teases.
“We’re engaged, I can do that,” Nat retorts, even though the words still don’t feel real to her.
Nat proposed a few months ago, on their third anniversary, the first of their friend group. Lottie and Laura Lee didn’t care that much about the label, Tai and Van were still dancing around each other, while Shauna was still single. For a long time, Nat dreaded the idea of marriage, it’s not like her parents or Jackie’s were a good standard. Still, Jackie was a labels girl, and she was worth taking the plunge for.
“I swear to God if you’re thinking of my tramp stamp-” Jackie starts, a familiar playful fight in her tone.
“I was thinking about marrying you,” Nat interrupts, “but now that you mention it-”
The image of Jackie’s tattoo, Nat’s name in a beautiful cursive, right above the swell of her ass flashes into her mind. To be fair, Nat’s tattoo isn’t much better, it’s Jackie’s name on her upper left thigh. She’s woefully transparent as Jackie swats her on the back of the head, and they dissolve into laughter.
“If you’re lucky, you can see it again today,” Jackie coos.
“I saw it last night,” Nat says, cocky to her core.
“Asshole,” Jackie grins, as she begins to pull away.
“Come back,” Nat whines, as her human heater starts to get up.
“Someone’s gotta pay for this wedding,” Jackie kisses her on the forehead, “and it’s definitely not you.”
“Hey! I got a raise,” Nat pouts, reluctantly following Jackie out of their bed.
“We’re rich now,” Jackie says sarcastically and then softens at Nat’s pout, “you know I’m just kidding, right?”
Nat nods, not offended, but she welcomes the pity as Jackie kisses her, short and sweet, before pulling away. She doesn’t miss her chance to grab Jackie’s ass as she walks away, and her fiancee just flips her off as she heads into the other room.
Nat shuffles through the movements of getting ready, bleary-eyed as she brushes her teeth and then hops into the shower. She keeps it quick, knowing they spent a little too long getting up, and towel dries her hair before getting dressed. Nat pads out into the kitchen to see Jackie around the stovetop, tossing a pan full of peppers.
Nat walks behind her, wrapping her arms around Jackie’s waist and pressing her forehead between Jackie’s shoulders. Jackie giggles in her arms as Nat drapes herself along her back.
“Can I pick you up from work today?” Jackie says.
Nat doesn’t move from her position, too comfortable, “What’s the occasion?”
“No reason,” Jackie shrugs, cracking eggs into the pan, “I should be off early today. Maybe we can go to the park. Have a little date night.”
“That sounds nice,” Nat kisses the back of her neck then pulls away.
She shifts over to the side, as Jackie pulls the omelette off the heat and plates it for her. There’s already silverware out, and Nat cuts out a piece, offering it to her. Jackie takes it, she never really eats anything in the morning anyway and eats it.
“Hey,” Nat says when she’s halfway through her meal.
Jackie’s tidying up the kitchen, and she glances over her shoulder, “Yeah?”
“I love you,” Nat smiles, because how can she not?
“I love you too,” Jackie smiles back.
Work is as stressful as always, but now, the stress slides off her back as soon as Nat’s off the clock. Before, when she first started as a line cook, she’d take everything back with her. It was hard for her to let go of her mistakes, hard to close her eyes and not imagine her dream of being a chef slipping through her fingers. Jackie helped a lot, back when they first moved out of Wiskayok, when they were freshly 18 and desperate to leave.
Nat finishes her cigarette, ashing it beneath her foot as Jackie turns the corner, a bouquet in hand and a bag thrown over her shoulder. Nat can’t help the way her face flames as Jackie stands in front of her, hands outstretched with the bouquet as an offering.
“I brought you flowers,” Jackie smiles her little, crooked grin that Nat loves so much.
“Why?” Nat can’t help but ask.
“Do I have to have a reason?”
Nat shakes her head, kissing her gently, before looking down to examine the flowers. Red tulips with white jasmine and daisies. She brings it up to her nose, inhaling, and Jackie smiles from behind the flowers. Their free hands tangle together as they start walking, Nat taking the side of the sidewalk closer to the street.
They talk about their days, Jackie more so than Nat. Nat doesn’t mind, she loves listening to Jackie talk, loves hearing the inflections in her voice, and how passionate she gets when she’s talking about certain models of cars. The streetlights light up around them as they walk, and Nat marvels at how wonderful her life is now.
They reach Fairmount, finding a perfect spot to watch the sunset. Jackie unravels a picnic blanket, brushing it off before plopping down and taking out a container of crackers and cheese. She hands it to Nat without saying anything, and Nat’s struck again by how thoughtful her fiancee is.
Jackie opens her legs and Nat sits between her legs, resting against her chest. Jackie rests one arm around her waist, her head on Nat’s shoulder. Nat offers her a cracker, and Jackie shakes her head before Nat eats it.
“I have something I want to run by you,” Jackie murmurs, her lips brushing Nat’s ear.
Nat shivers, “What’s up?”
“Remember the rescue on Diamond Street?” Jackie says, “I was looking through their adoption page recently.”
“And?” Nat knows exactly where she’s going.
Jackie shuffles around, still keeping her arm secure around Nat’s waist, her hand on her stomach, as she grabs her phone. She unlocks it, offering it open with a picture of the cutest black kitten that Nat has ever seen.
“They’re calling him Charcoal,” Jackie says and Nat can’t help but laugh, “look at his eyes!”
“He’s cute,” Nat concedes, “you already emailed them, didn’t you?”
“Called,” Jackie admits, “he’s still available but they said they’ve already had some people go and visit him.”
Nat bites her lip, trying to hide her smile, “We can go on Saturday if you want to get him.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, fuck it. We’ve been talking about it for months. Shit, we have to get cat stuff first. Like a tree or whatever?”
“Yeah, a tree or whatever,” Jackie teases.
“Asshole.”
“You love me.”
“Yeah. I do. I really do.”
Jackie laughs in victory, kissing her cheek. Nat can’t keep up her mad facade, even for a joke, around her. Nat relaxes in her arms, her eyes in front of her, gazing at the setting sun. The sky around them is bathed in cotton candy, a mix of pinks and blues.
There’s so much more they have to figure out, more wedding plans to be made, cat food, and toys to buy. There’s so much more they have to learn, together and individually.
Those thoughts should make Nat scared, but they don’t. How can she be scared when she’s with someone like Jackie? Jackie, who makes her feel heard, who makes every morning brighter, who makes her whole world seem bigger. Jackie, who seems to read her mind, who notices every expression, and who presses another kiss to her cheek.
Quietly, they watch the sunset, watching the light fade from view. They’re only kids, really, but they have their whole lives stretched out in front of them and all the time in the world. Time to live and love and fail and try again. They’re in their prime right now, feeling immortal in their youth, and they might as well enjoy it while they can.
There will be more sunsets, more lazy mornings, more life together. Nat turns her head, capturing Jackie’s lips in hers, and can’t help but smile.