Slow Burn.

Prologue.

She was everything he wasn't and never be. She's compassionate, loving, caring, supportive, kind, soft and relaxed. He's not sure where it comes from, but he knows that it comes naturally to the auburn woman. Being a kind human isn't difficult for her; it's in her nature. She moved here when she was fifteen, just starting high-school as he was leaving it. Her Texan accent followed her to Charming, and it's the quality of hers that continues to melt everyone's heart.

Everyone took to her family, but particularly the young redhead. She was sweet and volunteered for everything without a single complaint. She genuinely loved helping others, and she began tutoring him. She never really knew that he only went to those sessions because he wanted to spend time with her, and that was okay, she didn't have to know. Jackson Teller would put an hour aside every Thursday afternoon after classes to sit with Kacey James in the library and have her teach him exponential and logarithmic functions. He knew all the material, and was as good as he had to be, but he always pretended to be stumped when he was with her so that she wouldn't stop tutoring him. When he graduated high-school, she stood in the crowd and watched with a proud smile on his face; knowing he deserved it and worked hard for his diploma.

The James family was a very noble family in Charming. Her parents owned a book-store on Main, and her mother was involved in every committee in town. She would help Gemma Teller with some of the events SAMCRO would host, helping with the barbeques or family activities. Barbra James died in 2013 from breast cancer. Something that was unpredictable, terrifying and shocking for the family and town of Charming. Everyone attended her funeral and brought casseroles to the James' estate, telling Kacey and Jeff that "they were so sorry for their loss", and "were always around if they needed anything".

The family recovered from the sudden loss of their Barbra. Kacey continued to help her father, and she eventually gave up the idea of post-secondary so that she could keep close to her grieving Jeff, but eventually life came at them hard, forcing them to find a reason to settle in Charming. Kacey took on the book-store as her own, helping her father run it and becoming a co-owner. Jackson Teller stayed in Charming for the club, not knowing or thinking of anything aside from his patched brothers.

It's been almost 15 years since Kacey moved to Charming with her family, and she's still the same young girl she was then. Her smile still radiates, and everyone stops by the shop to see her, usually they come with gifts of coffee, baked goods or flowers for the Princess of Charming. She was as sweet as could be, and won the love of the town, including crooked members of the Sons. Kacey James was not one to judge a book by their cover, and she enjoyed a lot of the citizens of Charming, engaging in conversation as they came in to stop by the shop. She would watch them and listen excitedly as they would tell her about their day, or newest joy. She'd never rush them or make them feel less than.

Jax would spend his days trafficking drugs, guns or making money off a porn business. He'd waste time murdering men, lying to the police or rotting in a jail cell. He had his countless attempts at a real relationship, desperately searching for true love and doubting his likeliness of finding it. If there's anything Kacey and Jax share, it's that they're both hopeless romantics wearing their hearts on their sleeves and wishing every day for the right person to come around. He had a son now, Abel, and as bad as it sounds, he was hoping that this baby would fix his doomed marriage. Jax was now with his high-school sweetheart Tara Knowles. It's no surprise to the residents of Charming that this relationship would rekindle itself, but everyone would whisper behind his back that Tara was too good for him. He knew they weren't wrong, but he also knew that if he was looking at the women he truly deserved, he'd be left with no options.

Kacey and Jax remained friends throughout the years. Their friendship dwindling to an acquaintance as they never prioritized spending time together or reaching out. For Kacey, it was her true self to be kind to Jax and to smile at him every encounter they'd have. For Jax, it was the butterflies erupting in his stomach and his happiness not being contained. He loved seeing her, and he wishes that somehow, things could be different. Maybe they'd be lucky to have a slow-burn romance, even if it's in one of their dreams.