Cowboy Casanova

26

I stayed with Jake after the funeral. I wasn't feeling well enough to be left alone and I just wanted him to hold me. I wasn't hungry, so he took me to his room and held me tight. Laying in bed with Jake at the end of the night was my favorite. They were the most peaceful moments we had together with such busy schedules. Soft music played through his phone as I laid in his arms. His fingers ran through my hair. I think he was attempting to braid my hair when I rolled over to look up at him. I snuggled my body as close as I could possibly be to him, letting the small tears fall from my face, wetting his shirt. The silence lasted for several minutes, nothing but the sound of our breaths. His sudden shifting shook me from my state. I looked up at him and he wiped my eyes. He was propped up, a strange look on his face. "What's wrong Jake?" I asked him. He smiled down at me and shook his head.

"Nothing, absolutely nothing. I'm just thinking." He paused, looking like he wanted to add onto that but instead he said nothing.

"Please, tell me your thoughts. Distract me." I looked up at him with red eyes and he gave me a small smile, leaning down to kiss my lips. Jake's eyes glistened with adoration in the minimal light in the room. He looked like he had so many feelings at that moment.

"I was thinking that I haven't felt like this for someone before. But I like you here, in my arms, in my bed, by my side." I mustered my strength to send him a small smile. His simple words nearly brought tears to my eyes again, a soft smile falling onto my face. I sat up, thinking I know where this is going. "I always want to be here for you and I think after your accident, I might have freaked out about what life would look like without your beautiful smile and I hated that life. I want to be with you." I raised my eyebrows, a smile rising as he messed with my hands to ease his nervousness. "I guess what I'm trying to say is, I love you." I opened my mouth to say something, but it seemed like he wasn't done talking yet. "And you don't have to say it back, but I just thought I'd let you know and I don't know, I think that..." I pulled him towards me, kissing him. When I pull away from him, I just stare into his green eyes, enchanted. "You're staring, darlin."

"Jake Seresin. I knew that I was screwed the day I bumped into you. With those green eyes and that smile of yours." I kiss his lips again. "Oh, and I love you too." I laid back down on him and he smiled widely.

"Oh no. We're not done yet." I squealed as he picked me up off of him and placed me on his lap. "I think you've just made me the happiest man in the whole wide world." I smiled back at him. He held me close to kiss me and I wrapped my arms around his neck as he did.

"Good." I look up at him with dreamy eyes, though I am sure that they are still red from crying earlier. I keep staring at him until my eyes get heavy, tired from the day's exhaustion.

"You're staring. Do I have something on my face?" I nod, starting to feel tired.

"Yeah, it's handsomeness." He turns off the light on the nightstand and kisses my forehead. We both slip under the covers and he holds me close to him. And I feel safest there. In his arms.

"You're feeding my ego, darlin." I smile as he kisses me again. The feeling of his lips on mine is something that I won't ever get over.

"Don't worry. I'll take it down a few pegs tomorrow at training." He chuckled.

"I'm sure you will, darlin." He brushes back the hair from my face and he smiles down at me. "I think I wanna marry you someday." I rest my head against his chest and hum in agreement.

"I can't wait. I love you, Jake." Sleep starts to take over my body and I feel him take my hand in his along with a soft kiss on my head before I allow sleep to consume me, dreaming about a family. With Jake.

"I love you, Nicole."

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I sat in the classroom with a death glare on the Admiral, the glare getting worse when he dared to utter the words, "Captain Mitchell is no longer your instructor." With only 2 days left of training, he dared to take our best instructor away from us. And for what reason? Was it the stick up his ass? "And as of today, there are new mission parameters." A few of us looked at one another, surprised at this news. But I kept glaring. "Time to target is now four minutes." My jaw set. Four minutes? He wanted us to die. "You'll be entering the valley level at reduced speed. You are not to exceed 420 knots."