one-shots // peraltiago

plus qu'amis [more than friends]

amy's breakup with teddy wasn't easy. she was glad it was over, but she was struggling. luckily, jake was always there for her. he was there when she needed to cry to someone; he didn't care that his shirts were damp and tear-stained. jake was there to make her laugh, and to make her feel like she was all that mattered in the world, and to him, she was. it wasn't easy for jake either, his feelings were raging as he tried to be a good friend to amy. sometimes she needed more than just a friend. she needed someone with whom she had a bond; a special, unspoken connection. sometimes she needed physical contact to make her feel better. like last week, when she failed on a case and he just came over and they laid in bed together, nearly naked, her head on his bare chest with the weight of a thousand words neither of them could speak out loud. on days like that, she would shed silent tears and he would stroke her hair until she fell asleep, and he, too would eventually drift off with the comfort of amy santiago in his embrace. they had an emotional relationship; it was a connection that no one could break. he'd fallen in love with her, though he felt powerless. he couldn't bring himself to make a move.
they spent all their free time together; he even had a drawer of his clothes at her house. he often slept there, comforting her as she healed and became closer to jake. sometimes they would sleep in a spooning position, because she insisted he held her. after a while, they had a silent agreement to how they lived; eventually it was just how they lived. it was never weird, they knew it was more than a comradeship, but neither of them said anything or did anything to confirm this. they just had a level of intimacy that didn't need to be spoken of, it just was what it was.
one night, amy broke down into tears and went into panic mode about her sergeant's exam. jake, of course, was there for her already. they both knew he was the only person who could calm her down. she slumped down on the kitchen tiles and just cried, while he hurried over to sit next to her.
"jake," she managed to get out between sobs. "what am i going to do?"
"you're going to be amazing, ames. just like you always are," jake said with a reassuring smile as he looked down at her and wrapped his arm around her. they sat there for a while, her head on his shoulder, as she calmed down. jake took amy's hand in his and they stood up, making their way to her bedroom at last. she sat down on the bed, pulling on a pair of his sweatpants in preparation to sleep. he sat down slowly next to her. "ames," jake started. "you have absolutely nothing to worry about. you're amazing, and you shouldn't let your nerves hold you back from a lifetime of fulfilling your dreams and doing good in the world. you're too good for that. you're the most brilliant person i know, and you deserve the world."
amy looked up at jake ever so slowly, creating tension that had been building up over the past few weeks of them being together. they locked eyes for what seemed to last a lifetime. at last, amy lunged for jake's soft lips, and he accepted her kiss, the kiss he'd been waiting for as long as he could remember. he felt blush creeping up his face and butterflies in his stomach. he put his right hand on the small of her back, gently pulling him closer to her so that their bodies touched. his other hand wandered up the side of her face and into her silky hair, his fingers intertwining themselves in her gorgeous chestnut locks. her hands cupped his face as she deepened their kiss. amy felt jake smile against her lips, and she couldn't feel anything else but joy in that moment. it was perfect and she never wanted it to end. he was the only person in the world that she wanted to be with right now, and, just for a moment, she forgot where she was and that anything else existed but them. he was there for her when she was hurting and she knew, like really knew, that he was madly in love with her. she felt the same. she felt that he deserved the world and more. he was her universe these past weeks. she felt as if she couldn't live without him. when jake brought her onto the bed, amy snapped back to reality. she kissed him even more fiercely, her tongue tangling up in his. they were passionate in this moment. jake didn't want to be anywhere else but here. amy suddenly broke away, gasping hard for air. she didn't know how long it had been since she breathed, but honestly, she didn't care. the moment she stopped kissing him, she missed the feel of his lips and the way he tasted.
"jake," was all she managed to get out.
"ames?"
"we're not just friends anymore, are we?"
"you'll always be my best friend, ames. but kissing you is all i've thought about and more, for a while now. i think i can finally admit that we're more than friends. i think i love you."
"that's a good thing, jake peralta," amy squeaked our with a smile. "because i think i love you too."
                        _____________
and alas, their story ended perfectly. they went back to their life together, but the difference was, amy was happy. she was happier than she'd ever been. and now, they could kiss. they could touch. they could do whatever they wanted with each other, and it felt normal. and it was real. it was the realest thing either of them had had in their lives. they loved each other, and loved to be with each other. to jake peralta and amy santiago, that was all that mattered. because finally, finally, they could admit that they were always more than friends.