Pairing: Jake Kiszka x Reader
Word Count: 5.3k
Warnings: Cursin', Smokin', Drinkin', Major Fluff, Talks of Marriage, Talks of Pregnancy, More Fluff, and Kissing.
"Love is many things. It is varied. One thing love is not, is unsure." - Maya Angelou
TEN MONTHS LATER
JAKE POV
"Night, Jake! See you Monday!"
"G'night Sal, have a good weekend!" you hear the back door to the shop slam closed as your mechanic paces out, signifying the end of the work week. It had been a long one, customers and vehicles flying in and out of the shop more quickly than you could really keep up with, but nonetheless, you were thankful for them and their loyalty.
A quick glance to the clock on the wall reads 5:07, and you know that Y/N will have dinner ready soon. You know not to be late, or you'll risk having to eat the cold leftovers that your brothers left behind. You toss your dirty rag over into the bucket and strip out of your coveralls, your mouth suddenly watering at the thought of a hot meal and a couple cold beers to rinse down the chaos of your busy week.
You flip the lights off and fumble for your keys, turning before you exit to make sure everything is off and in its place, ready for your return on Monday morning. You take a second, letting the feeling hit you that you have finally done it. You finally have your own shop, with your name on the front of the building, your name on the deed, and your reputation proceeding you more positively than it has your entire life. You've always had a hard time being proud of yourself, but as the days flow by and the success of the business grows, you let yourself bask in it. You let yourself be proud of the new life you've created with your family.
The gold of the setting sun hits your eyes as you make your way through the parking lot to Valor, your dirty boots tracking grease behind you as you walk. You receive a few fond waves of goodbye from your fellow business owners closing up their own shops for the weekend. You'd been anxious about buying the older mechanic's shop right in the middle of Memphis, but it had been kept up well, and the old man that owned it was over the moon that a young man like yourself showed so much interest in making it your own. He even let you keep all of his old tools and supplies after your stern but appreciative declination, insisting that he 'Ain't got no more use for 'em, anyway'. It's smaller than the old shop in Joslyn, but the setup is efficient, and the foundation is sturdy. And it had fallen right into your lap for an extremely reasonable price.
You force the key into the lock of Valor, twisting it to hear the mechanism unlock and spring free. You cruise out of the lot and toward home, ready to relax the evening away as a brand new, twenty-seven year old business owner. It was funny, and a little ironic, honestly, that this was the first birthday you are spending not drunk and trying to fix Ace's pride and joy. For the past seven years, that had been all you'd known on your birthday- drink until you're blind, try to figure out what's wrong with the son of a bitch, get too mad to figure it out, and give up. You gave up, every single time.
...Until Y/N came around and turned your entire world on its axis. She'd thrown you into an adventure you never expected, and had half a mind to destroy altogether, until you fell in love with her. Now she's all you know, all you want. All you think about, all you want to be surrounded by. You'd picked out a house together and made it into a home, you'd filled it with cheap furniture and secondhand items, but neither of you cared. It was yours. And you were happy with what you had.
