Ever After

Chapter 19: Night One

"Pizzas here!" I groan from my bed. At Jackson's voice. "Emma! Sadie! Freddie!" I hear them shuffle down the hallway and it's not until the light shines in through the door so I realize Jackson came looking for me. "Hey baby there's pizza downstairs." I huff. "I know Jackie. I heard you yell." He frowns touching my head. "Are you sick baby?" I shake my head. "No just really tired. I guess the times zones have me." He hums. "I'll bring you some pizza. Eat a little for me huh?"

I nod softly. "Okay." He leaves before coming back with a paper plate. "Sorry this was all we had." I shake my head. "It's fine." I take a slice nibbling on it. I sit up laying my head on his shoulder. "So is Freddie staying?" He shakes his head. "I hadn't realized how spacious this place would be and Freddie already rented a place and he can't get his money back. So it's just us." I nod softly and he smiles at my sleepy form. I start to doze off and he takes the pizza from me. "Lay down baby girl. I'll be up a little later okay?" I nod incoherently already falling into the soft bed. He pecks my head and that's the last I remember.

*

When I wake up the house is dark and so is the bed. "Jackie..." I get up turning the lamp on. I rub up and down my arms as I step out of the bedroom and into the darkened hallway. "Why are all the lights out?" I whisper softly. I see a soft glow coming from one of the bedrooms. I step into it seeing Jackson and the kids coloring in books with the lamp next to them. Jackson's laying flat on the floor next to Sadie coloring and Emma has her dog and coloring book on Jackson's back as she lays on him coloring.

I knock softly. "Um Jackie..." They look to me. "Oh hey. How are you feeling?" I smile. "Cold and a little confused why all the lights are out." He smiles. "We were playing hide and seek. It's harder in the dark. We just forgot to turn the lights back on. Sorry love." I sigh watching Emma's tongue that's stuck out the side of her mouth as she colors. There's nothing that girl couldn't do to make me smile.

I sit down on the floor next to Sadie combing through her hair. "What are you coloring Sadie?" She smiles. "A flower." I smile back looking at it. "Well it's very pretty. What about you Emma?" She giggles kicking her feet on Jackson's back but he doesn't seem to mind. "A horsie." I smile widely. "It's very nice Emma good job." She giggles continuing to color. "Jackson..." He smiles in a weird way before holding it up to me. "Mines a power puff." I laugh at genuinely how excited he is. He rolls his eyes. "I think Buttercups pretty." Emma looks over his shoulder. "She is daddy. Very pretty."

He smiles. "Thank you Emma." He sticks his tongue out at me.  I stick mine out at him before getting up to go get some pizza. I can hear his heavy steps behind me but I don't acknowledge him. I reach into the fridge getting a slice of pizza before feeling his arms wrap around me. "I'm glad you feel better. Even if you hate my power puff." I smile widely. "I don't hate it. But aren't you a little old." He huffs. "I'll never be too old for buttercup." I scuff. "Shut up Jackie." He smiles. "It was either that or ponies and rabbits and I wanted to color a person." I kiss him. "You are something else." He smiles. "Yeah but you love me so I'm okay with that." I hum. "That I do."

He pulls back some. "So how are you liking the house. I nibble on my pizza. "It's nice Jackie but it's very spacious." He nods. "Yeah well I wanted to go all out. If I'm being honest I didn't know it would be exactly this big." I shake my head. "How much did you rent it for?" He hums. "Not important." I roll my eyes eating some more pizza because I knew I wasn't gonna win. "2500." He whispers placing his hands on the counter trapping my my body. I stare up at him. "That's a lot of money..." I whisper back. He smiles stepping closer to me but not in a teasing way. "I own a multimillion dollar company baby." I look down at my feet. "Still..." He lifts my face. "Hey being here is gonna earn me double in the long run so don't feel bad okay?" I nod softly and he hums taking the pizza from my hand to set on a paper plate. "Now..."

He kisses me before lifting me onto the counter. I wrap my arms around his neck. "Jackson..." He looks into my eyes setting his nose on mine. "Right I know..." He pulls completely away from me. "Girls it's bed time!" My breath catches and he heads up the stairs. I slide off the counter heading to the bedroom. I flop down on the bed sighing. Eventually he comes back in. I stand and he glances at me before he steps to the closet taking the shirt from his body. I step up wrapping my arms around his body. He hums and I press a soft kiss to the back of his neck. "What love?" I pull his body back into mine. He turns to me and I smile as he pulls my lips to his.

I touch his bare skin and he kisses me harder. "What do you want from me?" He whispers gently. I rub my thumbs over his sides. "Voglio che tu mi ami. I want you to love me." He smirks. "I already love you doll." I bite my lip nodding. "But you aren't loving me." I say pulling his hand up to sit on my hip. "Baby I..." I kiss him gently.

"I'm loving you with everything I am." I huff. "You aren't getting it Jackie." He frowns. "Teagan..." I shake my head. "Just go take you're shower." He huffs grabbing a towel and some boxers before heading into the bathroom. I climb into bed huffing softly before turning out the light. It's not long until he's stepping out of the bathroom and crawling in behind.

"Baby girl..." He whispers. "Yes Jackie?" He kisses the back of my neck. "I want to love you." I roll over falling into his cool chest softly. "I want to love you too." He lifts my head. "No baby I mean I want to love you." I blush deeply. "I...ugh..." He kisses me trailing his lips from my lips to my jaw and then down to my neck. "Jackson..." He pauses. "I don't..." He frowns. "Oh..." I shake my head. "No I just don't want to go that far."

I fall into his side. "You know me. I'm a sucker for your cuddles." He smiles combing through my hair. "That you are baby but I'm a sucker for you." I smile. "I want to spend time together like we used to before we ever had sex Jackie. You know when we'd stay up talking but you just did those cute little things to make me love you more." He hums. "Speaking of which I have to show you something I found while you were sleeping." I huff nodding. He gets up throwing a shirt on and some pj bottoms. I follow him as he steps out of the bedroom and over to a set of glass panels pushing them open. I step out after him onto this huge patio. Eventually I get to the edge and I can see the city of Rome lit up.

"Jackie...wow..." He smiles. "You always talked about having a balcony. And now you finally have one." I turn to him. "Jackie this is beautiful. Thank you." He shakes his head. "Don't thank me baby. Now come on what do you say we head back to bed. I have a long day tomorrow." I kiss him softly pulling him into me. "You have a long night too but only if you're up for it." He hums. "I thought we weren't going that far?" I laugh. "Jackie you rented a mansion in Rome with a huge balcony. I think you deserve it. Come on." He smiles. "Well I definitely won't say no to you." I pull him along after me stopping so he can close the panels before tugging him after me into the bedroom.

Enjoy!