Falling For Boys In Blue

Chapter 80

*next day*
Christians pov

The hour drive to Malibu was honestly the best thing we've done in a while. Car games, sharing new music with each other, laughing nonstop. When we woke up we talked and basically read each other's minds about Kaitlyn coming to stay with me all week. She packed a bag and then we left.

I took Cooper out while she unpacked upstairs.

"Kaitlyns gonna be here all week so now you can annoy her too buddy." He gave me a look and I laughed. "You know I love you." We went back inside and he ran right to Kaitlyn and jumped in her arms.

"Hi buddy."

"You're the only person he willingly let's do that. Mom picks him up and does it and he hates it. It's something about you."

"I guess so."

She set him down and he followed me to the kitchen as I filled his water and food bowls. Kaitlyn sat at the island and I leaned against it across from her.

"Can I ask you something?" I said.

"Yeah of course babe." I loved how we were already back at the nicknames.

"So last night, I noticed some things."

"Okay."

"I just saw that you have some new tattoos and I realized I never really asked about any of them before considering you have so many. Obviously you don't have to talk about them but I just wanted to point it out I guess."

"You noticed I got new ones?"

"Well yeah. I told you I paid attention to stuff like that. And I've only seen you naked how many times?" She lightly pushed my shoulder as we laughed.

"Fair enough. But yeah I got a lot and I'm definitely going to keep adding. Most people won't even realize or know I have so many cause they're so hidden."

"Yeah. I'll admit I didn't know you had any except the arm ones until we, you know."

"Yeah I know." She got a cheesy smile and pulled me to the couch. "I'll tell you about them. So you obviously know about the matching positive vibes tattoo with Hailie on our wrists and the heartbeat line with the baseball that I have on my bicep. I think those are self explanatory. One of the new ones is on my ankle, it's a bouquet of flowers. Each flower represents someone who has significantly impacted my life." She took her shirt off. "And then you obviously know about the flowers here on my ribs. Growing up I was super close with my grandma and papa on my moms side. They got divorced when my mom was a kid, but they still got along well into old age. My grandma died during my junior year of high school and then you know my papa died before my senior year. Well, my papa's favorite flowers were red roses and my grandmas were purples lilies. They were always my favorite flowers too because I found them to be pretty. But now there's more meaning behind them. The flowers were my third tattoo after my wrist and bicep ones, to honor them of course. And then here on this shoulder is another new one I got on my papas birthday. It's a butterfly with angel wings. The butterfly is to represent peace and hope, the angel wings are for my papa because he always called me angel. Behind this ear,"

"YOU HAVE TATTOOS BEHIND YOUR EAR?"

"Yeah I have two."

"TWO." She chuckled.

"Behind this one I have my grandma and papas initials, they're super tiny but they're there. Growing up they always told me to listen to them because they had wise words and knew better. That's why it's there. Behind my other ear I have the treble and bass clef making a heart for my love of music. Another new one is here at my hairline on the back of my neck, its a small sun. There's a few reasons for it, it's so the sun is always shining on my back no matter where I am and for my love of Cali."

"Wait that's cute."

"Thank you." She put her shirt back on and undid her jeans. "And then on this hip I have a small paw print outline for my childhood dog with her name in it. Yes, her name was Muffin." We both laughed. She had another tattoo on her hip that was peaking just barely above her hip line. That was one of the new ones I saw. It's the most hidden one of them all. The one I was most curious about.

"What's the other one." She bit her lip and took a deep breath.

"So everyone obviously knows how close I was with my uncle. Then a handful know how close I was with my grandparents." I tucked a piece of hair behind her ear.

"Yeah of course."

"Well only Cody and of course Hailie and Ryan know about my cousin, and now you. Danny," she shook her head and blinked tears away. "Danny and I were best friends growing up, you couldn't take us apart. Everyone thinks I was close with my uncle but no. I'm beyond closer with Danny. Same age, same interests, everything. He didn't get along well with his parents either, so we always stuck together. Some nights we'd sneak out just to get away from everything and we'd just drive along the lake. We did everything together. He even took me to my senior prom. And he almost got expelled for starting a fight with the guy who assaulted me. He was my big brother and best friend rolled into one. When we graduated high school I was going to college in LA, he was joining the Marines." I had a feeling where this was going. "Him, my grandparents and a few friends were the only good things about Milwaukee really. And of course the Brewers. But he was the family member I had there. He was my family." Her voice trailed off as she looked out the windows. I took her hands. My voice was soft.

"What happened."

"Last year when the Dodgers were in New York against the Mets I got a call. They didn't know where he was. Him and his squad never returned. And he's been missing in action since." She lowered her jeans more to show me the tattoo. "I got this done in August on the year anniversary of him going missing. He always said when he retired I'd be the one to get the dog tags, the jacket, all his stuff. That's why I got the dog tags tattooed."

"So you guys were like close close."

"You know how Cody and I are? Pretty much like that. And I think that's why I'm so close with Cody, because he reminds me of Danny so much. I just wish I could tell him that I made it."

"C'mere." I pulled her into a hug. "He knows."

"I know, but still."

I kissed her forehead and wiped her tears.

"I don't know if you've considered or thought of it but, you could always talk to Cam about this kind of stuff. I'm sure he'd listen and maybe he even has advice to give you or something, I don't know. I know the holidays can be hard when someone's away serving but I can't imagine what it's like when someone's missing."

"Well being with you guys is definitely going to help. Last year I was with Cody's family and it helped."

"That's good, but we'll be better than his family I'm sure. No offense."

"Oooo someone's jealous."

"Not at all, it's only cause my girlfriends gonna be there that's why."

"Mmm is that right Yelich?"

"Yeah it is Mayer."

"Do I know her?"

"Yeah I'm pretty sure you do. She's this insanely smart, talented and gorgeous sports reporter."

"Oh yeah I think I know her."

"You'll get along just fine."

Just as we leaned in Cooper barked at us. We both looked and there he sat looking at us. Kaitlyn chuckled, shielded his eyes and leaned in as she wrapped her other hand around my neck. She started laughing and backed away.

"It's not you babe, he licked my hand."

"COOPER!"

She ruffled his fur. "You ruined the mood dude."

She stood up and started to walk away. I stood up and grabbed her hand and spun her into my chest.

"No he didn't."

I pressed our lips together and my hands slipped down to her waist. She wrapped her arms around my neck pulling us closer. I really got her back.