Only Us (Justin Fields)

|72| a pair of pumpkins

Justin

It's been crazy with school starting up and football season underway, but we are still not really allowed to do much. Classes are still online, fans still aren't allowed into the stadium. It's like life always goes on but in different ways. We have to make the best of it.

Tonight I decided we should have a date night. Only this time she wanted to decide where to go. At first she never wanted to pick out the dates, said she's too inexperienced and wouldn't know what to do. The thing was... it never mattered what we did. As long as we were together I was the happiest man in the world.

She decided we could go to the pumkin patch and pick out pumpkins. Then we will take them back to the apartment and paint on them for the holidays. It was something fun, interactive and intimate, I can't say I could have picked anything better.

I pull on a grey sweater and smile. I've never been the one to dress up for dates before Jillian. Maybe I didn't care or maybe I simply didn't know any better. But I love being in public with her, having her in my arm. Seeing the world through her eyes. I look forward to it more than most things. If I told her that she would probably roll her eyes saying she doesn't understand why I say these things. But that's okay, as long as she loves me I don't care what we're doing.

There was a knock on the bathroom door and I knew it was about time to leave. I open the door expecting to see her in some jeans or maybe a pair of slacks. Instead she was wearing a dark orange and black plaid skirt and a black turtleneck. Her hair wild and free like it always is. And those eyes, man those eyes would make the strongest guys bend at the knee. She looks absolutely breathtaking.

"Woah" I gasp not really able to say much more. She just smiles up at me nearly making my knees give out.

"Do you like it" she asks softly as she pulls at her skirt.

"You look... absolutely stunning" I assure her.

"Your sisters helped me pick this out not too long ago. I didn't actually think I would wear it but figured the pumpkin patch would be the best place" she shrugs.

"You realize I am making you take so many pictures with me right" I tease as she giggles.

"I wouldn't mind. For you. Only you" she promises.

We head out to the other side of the city before reaching the pumpkin patch. We walk around the gift shop before grabbing a little red wagon and heading out into patch.

It was pretty crowded and you can tell other people are here doing the same things we were. After searching and searching it kinda felt like we couldn't find the perfect pumpkins. I don't even know what I was looking for, I just knew it wasn't these pumpkins. So we continue our search going deeper and deeper into the patch.

"Are we supposed to be out here" I ask as the people think out.

"Sometimes the best things in life are hard to find. But the search makes it that much better when you finally find them" she explains.

"It sure is" I smile at her. She just rolls her eyes as she understands what I was getting at.

"What are you looking for in a pumpkin" I wonder.

"Not a perfect one. The idea of perfection terrifies me. It should be different colors and a little lopsided and maybe even a little bruised. It should be able to withstand hard times, then it gets easy and all it has to do is bask in the light" she says.

I stop walking for a moment before a big smile comes on my face. I'm not sure if she knows it, but she's grown so much in our time together. Admitting stuff like that was nearly impossible before yet here she is, planning dates, saying what scares her, and hardest yet, saying what makes her happy too.

"Why are you looking at me like that" she finally asks after I stared for too long.

"Just thinking about you is all" I confess. She smiles before quickly trying to hide it. I guess we still got a way to go. As long as we enjoy the journey, I'm sure neither of us will mind.

We take a few more steps before I hear Jill let out a loud gasp. She nearly runs over to a set of pumpkins almost on their own. They were exactly as she described. And she was still able to pick them out of these hundreds of pumpkins.

"I found mine" she cheers as she picks up the pumpkin. As she turns to me I pull out my phone to snap a picture. She starts to frown as I do so. "You said we would get pictures together" she pouts.

"We will. But I like capturing moments like this too" I insist.

She sets the pumpkin in the little red wagon and I go to grab the one that was next to the one she picked out. I put it next to hers in the wagon before smiling. They deserve to stay together, just like us.

We stop for a few pictures before stopping for some apple cider and pumpkin pie. We share a good conversation and even get some food to take home.

Once there we pull out the old paint supplies from COVID times and clean off the pumpkins before getting to work. I didn't know what to paint and since I know it won't last forever I decided to paint a pumpkin on here. I thought it was kind of funny. Jillian decided on an old farmhouse because of course she did.

We change before starting because there was no need to ruin a good outfit. She comes out in a pair of basketball shorts and one of my football shirts I give her and I smile.

"What now" she pouts.

"Oh it's nothing. Just thinking about how you look incredible all dressed up and in my clothes too" I say.

"You're the worst" she accuses as she picks up her pumpkin to hide her face.

"Whatever you want me to be" I tease.